Ghost of the Civil War
by KimmyHazard
Summary: Riley Campbell caught her Ghost; now she has to fight a war to keep him. The world is changing, Mutants have become known and now the world is on edge with all Supers alike. Can Riley protect her loved ones during this dangerous time? Or will they fall into the crossfire of the Civil Wars… (Sequel to... "To Catch A Ghost")
1. Fuel to the Fire

**Author's Introduction:** Hello all and welcome to the sequel of "To Catch A Ghost"! For those of you reading this, you may be confused at who Riley is! If that's the case then you may or may not have read the first installment to this series! I recommend reading it first or else this could get confusing!

For those of you returning! Hello lovelies! I'm exciting to continue this journey with you!

Please remember to...

 **Read, Review and above all... Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Marvel. I wish I did but, I sadly don't.

* * *

Clint Barton was not a happy camper. He never usually had too much of a problem leaving, he knew when he was needed. He knew and they knew the circumstances that came with the job. Yet, this time, it was much harder to leave them. He said he would be out of the game for a while. They just had the new baby almost two years ago now, he was watching his new son grow, and his little personality begin to develop. Now here he was, sitting in a meeting with the Avengers team. Surprisingly, almost a _full_ Avengers team; minus Banner and the God of Thunder, of course. "Alright guys, what is this about?" He asked impatiently.

"By now I'm sure you've all seen the news." Stark was the first to speak, pulling up a video on his projection screen. The video was of a news broadcast gone wrong as an explosion took out an entire neighborhood. The newscaster began to explain how the cause of this so-called _attack_ earlier in the day was the product of young mutants using their powers and everything had 'gone wrong'.

Barton raised a concerned eyebrow. "Kids fooling around?" He asked.

"Kids fooling around and killing six hundred civilians." Stark added. "This mutant thing is getting somewhat out of hand, this _superhero_ thing is getting out of hand. So many people are afraid and for good reason."

Barton looked to Steve who seemed somewhat deflated as he sat at the table. "Public opinion of superheroes has plummeted, especially after today. However, I don't think the mutant population is getting out of control. These were kids who were fooling around; Xavier—"

"Xavier isn't doing a very good job at handling the problem, now is he?" Stark snapped back. "They're dangerous and there's a lot of them. Not even just mutants, forget the mutant issue here. There are others like us out there; who knows how many? How do we know the good from the bad?"

"The bad guys usually attack us." Barton sarcastically countered.

"And this wasn't an attack?" Tony replied incredulously.

"No, this was an accident. A horrible accident. Should we lock away all enhanced beings for the sake of preventing accidents?"

The room went silent before Sam finally asked. "So what does this mean for us now?"

"Something has to be done. I don't know what yet—" Stark said, his words promising. "But something, and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way." He wasn't wrong.

* * *

 **Final Thought:** As with all my introductions, they're short and to the point! Next chapter will bring us into our favorite assassin duo so hold on, kids! Thank you for reading and remember to review!


	2. Almost Paradise

**Author's Note:** Hi all! Thank you so much for reading! As a reminder, this is a sequel to my other fanfic "To Catch A Ghost" so if you haven't read that…this may be confusing! Also, since the movie Civil Wars hasn't come out yet, and we don't really know the exact plot, I'm just sticking with the comics. So, that's that, I guess. It's starting a little slow because we need to catch up with Riley and Bucky! Then things… as some of you know my writing style… will get out of control. So hang on!

Thank you Lynnspid5 for your review! I'm happy to be able to bring this new story to you and I'm happy you followed! :D

Remember to review, guys! It helps put me in an exciting mood because it makes writing easier! I am here to please and entertain, this story is only possible with your help!

You know the drill!

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** If I owned Marvel I would be on a beach somewhere, with sunny weather and not the rainy weather of New York.

* * *

Her heart raced in her chest as she rounded the large tree and deeper into the woods. Clutched tightly in her hand but down at her side, the new handgun she was given. It was a lot lighter than what she was used to but, that was something she would account for when firing.

He was there somewhere in the woods, hunting her like she was hunting him. It was shoot first or lose the battle. She knew that as she peered through her goggles; hair tied back in a tight pony tail to stay out of her face. She was in camouflage, the only way to blend in with her surroundings as she went. The hunt was on.

Riley stopped dead in her tracks, listening to her surroundings. A branch fell in the distance to her left. That wasn't him, she knew that. He was more cunning than that to let a silly mistake end him. Sweat beads began to form on her forehead as she inhaled deeply, straining her ears to hear something, _anything_ to give him away.

Quickly, Riley turned and fell to her knees; barely being missed by her attacker. She turned to see him, his face covered in the all too familiar mask and glasses. He had found her. She had only minutes to react as she dodged out of the way; missing his own fire. He chose the bigger gun, of course he did. That was his style. She opted out for the smaller handgun, it would be easier to wield. Her assumption proving right as she turned and fired. Missing barely as he dodged out of the way.

Riley sprinted for cover, a nearby tree. He was so close, she knew it would only provide cover for so long. She also knew her ammunition was running on empty. He was waiting, it would turn into a standoff. "What are you going to do, Red?" He called out through his facemask, his voice intimidating as he waited for her to move.

"I'll surrender and come out if, and only if, you promise not to shoot." She bargained, calling around her only cover.

He smirked under his mask. "Unlikely, drop your weapon and maybe I'll show mercy."

"Then I'm not coming out." She said sternly.

"I can wait all day." He said with mischief in his tone. "You'll have to come out eventually."

He was right. She couldn't wait here forever. He was going to shoot her; she was running out of options. He had the upper hand here.

"Go big or go home…" Riley mumbled to herself, checking her ammunition and with one quick breath; turned from the tree and fired rapidly at her attacker.

He was expecting it and dodged the attack, but barely as he fired back. That's when she knew she landed the hit. The sound of his armor feeling the blow of her ammo, the splatter, and then the fall to the ground. She knew she had him. The woods went silent as Riley stood there, her gun still aimed as she waited. She hit him, she knew she did. Slowly, she stepped closer to see her handy work; a rather large smile appearing on her face as she saw the pink splat on his chest as he lied on his back. "Damn it, Red." He breathed out.

Riley laughed, offering her arm to help him up. As Bucky stood, he brushed off his pants and removed his face mask; looking down at the damage she had caused. "I'm surprised I got you." She said victoriously.

He smirked as his eyes locked on her armor. "Looks like you didn't _win_ , oh fierce one." He pointed to the green splatter on her chest armor. "It's a tie."

Riley groaned. "Damn." She said. "I thought I had you."

"I'm sure Antonio will get a kick out of this one." Bucky said, referring to the owner of the paintball arena.

"He's already impressed by us." Riley said proudly.

"But ending in a tie, third time this week?" Bucky said. "That's impressive."

Riley grumbled. "I had you."

Bucky merely laughed as he pulled the red head close to him and kissing the top of her head. "Come on, let's get out of here or else we'll owe the babysitter for another hour."

Riley smiled. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

 _ **New York**_

"Stark is taking this pretty hard." Barton said as he walked down the hallway of the Avengers base with Falcon and Captain America.

"He's been feeling this way ever since Ultron." Falcon commented. "It's like an overhaul of guilt and this need to protect everyone."

Steve sighed. "Unfortunately, Sam is right." The three continued walking. "And I'm afraid that fear is going to cause hysteria."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Sam said. "There's an emergency United Nations meeting later today, I think it's mandatory we all go."

Barton rolled his eyes at that idea. "And here I was hoping to head home to my wife and kids."

Steve was sympathetic as he spoke. "Sorry it had to come to this, unfortunately we need everyone here."

"Everyone? We're still missing a metal armed soldier and a trigger happy red head." Barton replied with a smirk. "Speaking of those two; how are they?"

"Happy." Steve said with a relaxed smile. "They're apparently doing really well. They had a little girl and they're blissfully ignorant to the outside world. I'm slightly jealous."

Barton scoffed. "I doubt they're happy about playing house. They're assassins. They can't sit still that long. They're going to want to come back to the fire."

"Well, from what Barnes has told us." Sam began. "Things are pretty good. They moved out of the safe house with Fury's permission and actually live among society. Very weird, if you ask me."

"A man with a metal arm and a girl with a gun, blending in? That sounds disastrous." Barton confirmed with a laugh. "Are they going to need to come in?"

Steve shrugged. "If things don't improve we may not have a choice."

"They're retired now." Sam added. "They're out of the game, how could we convince them to come back."

"Hey, they've been gone over a year and a half and if I know Riley, she's going to want to come back. I think it's time we go get them before things get worse." Barton was only half kidding as the three continued to catch up.

* * *

 _ **Sao Paulo, Brazil**_

Before the baby arrived, the two decided it was time to start over; officially. They had made the difficult decision to stay in Brazil longer than planned and moved to a cute two bedroom apartment in Sao Paulo. Being such a big city was a worry for Bucky in particular, what would people think of his arm? Simply enough, he covered the star with his tee shirt sleeve and no one really asked. It was another prosthetic to those who saw it. He'd tell them he lost it in a factory accident; to his surprise people believed it.

They were living off Riley's earnings from previous bounties. And to get them through the days where they wanted to go back to that life, they found themselves about an hour from their apartment at the local paintball arena twice a week.

Getting a babysitter, that was another issue. However, in their building was a nice fifteen year old named Suzy who, after much surveillance and background checks, was acceptable to watch the baby. Life was simple but life was good.

The two walked into their apartment late that afternoon, Suzy was sitting on the couch reading her textbook for school. "Hi Suzy." Riley said in Portuguese. She was a little rusty in the language but after being surrounded by the language for almost a year, she was able to pick it back up. Bucky, however, didn't speak much Portuguese. Riley was in charge of most of their conversations in the end. "How was everything?"

"Fine Mrs. Barnes." Suzy replied with a smile. "Emily is still napping."

Riley smiled at Bucky. "Great." She said, reaching into her pocket for her wallet and pulling out the equivalent of twenty American dollars and handing it to Suzy. "Thank you so much for your help." Riley said. "We'll call you when we need you again, if that's okay?"

Suzy smiled. "Of course! Thank you! Have a great night!" She graciously took the money and left for the night.

As Riley put down her paintball handgun on the table along with her knee pads and goggles, Bucky rounded the corner with the half-awake six month old in his good arm. "Mom, look who's awake." He said with a smile as he kissed the child's forehead.

Riley was beaming as she looked at the red haired, blue eyed baby. She had Bucky's eyes for sure. "Hi baby." She said softly.

As Riley moved to take the baby from Bucky, he moved back from her with a smile. "She's mine right now."

Riley rolled her eyes playfully. "She's a daddy's girl anyway."

Emily Beatrice Barnes was a happy six month old named after her Granddad and Aunt; with red hair to match her mother's and blue eyes like her father's. She was learning to roll onto her back and at the beginning stages of crawling. And she was their world. After their long battle with helping Riley regain her memories, those hard three months of their lives; finding out Riley was pregnant changed everything. Bucky never thought he could love Riley any more than he already did; well, he was happily mistaken when he learned of their new baby.

Riley walked over to the laptop on the kitchen counter, hearing Bucky playing with Emily in the other room and smiling to herself as she opened the laptop for updates. Sure, they were out of the game but, they were always updated about what was happening home. "She called you Mrs. Barnes again." Bucky called from the living room. "Maybe we should finally make that happen."

"You could always be Mr. Campbell." Riley teased as she booted up the laptop.

Bucky laughed. "You know I'm _old fashioned_ , doll. You'll say 'yes' to me someday." He was so certain of himself.

"Maybe." She said with a smile as two new emails came in. She opened the first one and began reading the latest on the mutant _attack_ back home. "Jeez…" She muttered as she read. "Still a big issue."

Bucky, with Emily in his arms, wandered back into the kitchen. Someone was getting fussy. "What's going on?"

Riley was somewhat spaced out as she read the email. "Something's happening back home with that whole 'mutants are among us' thing. Here, read." Riley said moving away from the laptop to show Bucky the article.

"Stark and Rogers Battle at the UN over Mutant Controversy." Bucky read with a sigh. "Of course."

"Think it's serious?" Riley asked with concern.

"Knowing them—" Bucky began. "They just like to argue."

Riley skimmed the article more. "I wonder what their argument is about."

"No idea." Bucky said as he walked to the refrigerator to find the leftover baby food from earlier that Emily didn't eat. "What's the article say?" He asked as he gently bounced the now fussing sixth month old in his arm and balancing the food in the other. He was becoming a pro at the whole 'Dad' thing; at least, in his mind he was.

"It seems like they can't agree on what to do with the _Super_ problem; people with exceptional traits or those working with them. There's no regulation." She said as she continued to read. "I hate how they keep saying _problem_."

Bucky placed his daughter in the high chair, still smiling as he secured her into the seat for safety before pulling a chair of his own over to begin feeding her. "People working with them? People like you and me?"

Riley shrugged. "Maybe. From what the article says no one really knows who is on what side or how many people like the supers are out there. Honestly, I can see where the fear is coming from. It's scary not knowing who can hurt them."

"But does the public really need to know that? I think when they get an actual number they'd be even more scared. Plus, think of how many identities would be exposed. How many mutants will have to out themselves even if they don't want to?"

Riley frowned slightly before closing the article completely and shutting the laptop. "But if we know more about mutants and the supers and exactly what they can do; wouldn't that give piece of mind? Knowledge is power."

"Or a curse." He reminded her with a smile before focusing his full attention back to Emily. "Don't forget, exposing identities also gives ammo to the mutants and supers that _do_ want to hurt people."

"It's a win-lose." She sighed before walking over to her family.

"We don't need to worry about this. Our lives are here." Bucky reminded her as she draped her arms around his shoulders, placing her chin on his shoulder so she could see the smiling sixth month old with green beans on her chin.

"Call me a worrier then, but, I have a bad feeling it will eventually come to us." She said sadly.

He sighed before smiling at his sixth month old. "Your mother is driving me nuts." He said in a happy tone, causing the little girl to giggle at him. "We'll be fine, Red. If it gets really bad, _maybe_ they'll come to us but, for right now, I don't see that happening." As if the words were a curse in themselves, there was a knock at the door. The two were silent as Riley moved away from Bucky and headed for the door. "Coincidence!" Bucky called out from the kitchen as Riley walked out.

Her heart was racing, that bad feeling was coming back as she walked over to the door and peeked through the peephole of the door. Her bad feeling only confirmed as she stared at the familiar faces of her favorite assassin duo; Hawkeye and Black Widow.

* * *

 **Final Thought:** Thank you for reading! Remember to review! We're just setting a few things in place and then we'll really be taking off so, hang in there!


	3. The Visitors

**Author Rambles:** Hi all! So sorry for the wait but thank you all for giving this story a chance! I know it's starting off slow but the buildup will be much more fun to knock down. I mean…. Happy, rainbow, sunshine story. Nothing bad can happen to our favorite duo… right? I also added some fluff for you because everyone loves fluff.

Remember to review! I love reading reviews and hearing from you guys! It's a lot of fun!

Thank you Megan1130! I'm so excited to be back and continuing this story for you guys!

You know the drill!

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I own Riley and Emily and that's it!

* * *

It took everything within Riley to open the main entrance to the apartment. A grimace on her face as she was greeted with smiles from the excited duo. "Hey, Riley!" Clint said, opening his arms for a hug. There was an awkward pause before Clint's smile faded. "She's not happy to see us." He concluded to the red headed spy next to him.

"Either that or she wasn't expecting us." Natasha mused with a smirk.

"Didn't you get my e-mail?" Clint asked somewhat hurt.

That's when Riley remembered the second e-mail. "I completely missed that one." She mumbled, the grimace fading slightly as she stared at them.

"Can we come in?" Natasha asked.

Riley shook her head, praying the shock would wear off as she moved aside. "Sorry, guys. Really wasn't expecting this." She motioned from them to come in. "Please, come in."

The two walked in, eyeing the quaint apartment as they stood in the entrance way. That's when they heard the giggle echo through the apartment. "I won't lie, Rye. I didn't really come to see you, I came to meet _her_." Natasha admitted teasingly as she wandered towards the sound of the child.

Riley heard the excitement from the kitchen as Natasha saw her daughter for the first time. "Don't steal my kid, Romanoff." She heard Bucky's deep voice say in Russia. She could almost _hear_ the glare in his tone.

Riley looked back at Clint, his smile faded to a more sympathetic one. "Sorry to just show up like this." He was sincere about that. "It's interrupting a lot of normalcy with everyone's lives lately."

Riley nodded. "How's the new baby?"

"Not new anymore, he's almost two." Barton said with a smile. "You, on the other hand. How's being a mom?"

"Wonderful." She said with a small smile. "But I have a feeling it's going to become a lot less wonderful now that something's happening."

"It doesn't become less wonderful, Rye." He said. "It just becomes harder to shield them from the horrors we've seen."

Riley could feel the tickle in her throat, she knew why they were here. She wasn't stupid. "I have a family, Clint. I'm out of the game. I can't—" She paused to regain her composure. " _We_ can't come back into this."

"I have a family too, Rye." Barton said. "That's _why_ I came back in. For them; it's not about me anymore. It's about protecting them."

Riley silently bit her lip as nerves took over every inch of her body. "What's going on?" She finally asked.

"We should all talk for a little bit." Clint said, Riley couldn't argue with that idea as she followed Clint into the kitchen.

* * *

Bucky was a nervous father, even with someone who wasn't exactly a stranger. He watched Natasha carefully as she played with the sixth month old. Even though Emily was smiling and laughing, he would rather she cried in Natasha's arms. He didn't really like anyone holding her except for himself and maybe Riley.

"Riley, she's wonderful!" Natasha gawked as she focused some of her attention to the new presence in the room. "Thankfully she doesn't look too much like Barnes."

Bucky grumbled something in Russian that Riley was glad wouldn't be repeated or understood by her sixth month old. "Anyway." Barton interrupted, attempting to keep the peace. "We're not just here for a fun visit."

"Figured that." Bucky's eyes were still narrowed as he watched Natasha. "What's going on back home?"

"The world is changing." Barton began. "Mutants are officially out and among us."

"They've always been among us." Natasha corrected. "They're just now becoming the target of all the world's problems."

"Basically, if you're a mutant, you're in danger of persecution." Barton said. "So if one mutant does anything wrong—"

"They all get blamed." Riley finished.

"Exactly." Barton said. "Now the argument is, what should we do about this? Mutants and Supers are growing in numbers and the general public does not feel safe."

"So this is just an argument of who can come up with the best course of action?" Bucky asked. "Mutants and Supers are people too, they deserve every right to feel as safe as the rest of us."

Barton and Natasha looked gave each other a knowing look. "That's the problem. The non-enhanced world sees them as a threat. That there's a need for a regulation of sorts." Barton added.

"How do you regulate something uncontrollable like gene mutation?" Riley asked. There was silence before Riley concluded. "This is where there's a standstill."

"Exactly." Barton said.

Bucky sighed. "So why do we need to come in?"

"We think it would look better if all members of the Avengers team, past and present, showed up to weigh in on the scenario." Barton explained, his eyes not leaving Natasha now. "Besides, maybe you can talk some sense to these people, or even come up with an idea of your own." Riley caught on to his meaning, he was talking about Natasha. Something in the back of Riley's mind told her that things were more divided at home than she realized. "Steve thinks it's a good idea if we were all there."

Bucky looked at his red head; he was torn. Did he stay here with his family, or would they all leave to go help his best friend? The itch and urge to go back in the field, even if it was just a _small_ mission; he yearned for it. But was that the right course of action for them? "What do you think, Red?" He asked.

"We have a life here, guys." Riley said. "I want a guarantee that we can come back to it."

"It shouldn't take too long to settle this." Barton assured her. "The greater numbers we have to vote on a solution, the better."

"How long do we have to decide?" Bucky asked.

"Preferably by tonight. We leave in the morning." Natasha said, rocking the child in her arms.

Bucky nodded. "Give us the night to decide." He suggested. "We need to talk about it."

The pair knew they wouldn't get a straight answer, at least, not in that moment. However, Natasha was somewhat hopeful that Barnes was the weaker link of the two. He'd shown that in his expression, a rookie mistake if she ever saw one. In fact, seeing that expression was almost concerning. How could someone like the Winter Soldier let something like that slip? It didn't matter, all she needed to know was Barnes was leaning towards their cause. All he had to do was convince Riley, and that would be it.

Natasha, albeit reluctantly, handed the happy child in her arms to Bucky. She smiled brightly at the baby before looking at Bucky and nodding. "We'll be back in the morning." Barton said. "Hopefully, we can count on you."

"We'll see." Riley said, ushering the two assassin's to the front door. Finally, there was quiet in the house. No peace of mind, but the silence was welcoming.

* * *

Riley walked back into the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe as she watched the love of her life play with their daughter. This was her life now, this was _their_ life. Was that something they wanted to give up? Bucky didn't take his eyes off his daughter before he spoke. "What do we do, Red?"

Riley sighed, running her hand through her red locks as she looked up at the ceiling. There was a crack that she swore was only getting bigger. Bucky, however, didn't see it as an issue but swore he'd fix it someday. The crack in the ceiling that caused many arguments between the two, and now, this moment felt like another crack beginning to form. This time, the crack was between their stances on this issue. "I think—" Riley finally began. "We should put the baby to bed before we open up this can of worms."

Bucky nodded; she could see the small smirk forming on his lips as he cradled his daughter in his arms. They both knew a whirlwind was coming; now they just had to decide if they could be adults about it or if they'd literally bring out the big guns. Without another word, Bucky walked out of the kitchen and towards his daughter's room. He'd have his few moments of welcomed silence, a few moments of serenity that his daughter brought him, and then he'd argue with the mother of his child later. But for now, his focus was on one thing.

Riley moved to the living room and mindlessly began shifting the furniture around for a clear space. She knew what was going to happen if they didn't agree. Best option would be to save the coffee table and couches. They weren't always like this, well, to _this_ extent. Bucky had rationed it up to being out of the field for so long that the two needed an outlet. They had pent up energy; energy that couldn't be spent just on paintball fields.

Riley sighed, staring at the arrangement she had made with the furniture. She began to chew on her lip as she rationalized just what they were inevitably about to do. Maybe he was right. Maybe their fighting really was due to their need to be in the field. Maybe they both really needed that adrenaline rush that they were missing? It was a drug, one that they were relapsing from and dangerously. "Alright." She heard from behind her as he cracked his neck and stretched his arms. "Ready when you are. Let's try not to wake her up."

Riley turned to face him. "Maybe we should go."

Bucky nearly fell over, he was almost certain Riley was against returning home. "Wait, you're actually on my side for this?"

"It's not about sides, Ghost." She said. "But maybe doing one more mission can even us out." She looked at the space she cleared for them to fight. "This isn't exactly _normal_."

He simpered. "We aren't normal, Rye."

"True." Riley agreed. "But sparring until someone gives in isn't going to solve anything. " She admitted in defeat. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we really do have pent up energy and need to get it out of our systems."

He frowned slightly, somewhat disappointed as she folded his arms. "Yeah, but, fighting usually leads to _other_ things." Riley couldn't help but laugh at him.

"You're seriously thinking about sex right now?"

"I am a guy, Red." He said. "I do have male tendencies." Riley rolled her eyes at his comment. "This might not even lead to a mission. We'd be going back to see if we can help out with this Supers and Mutants issue."

"When have we ever done anything together that hasn't turned into a mission?"

Bucky shrugged. "Having a kid wasn't a mission."

"What are we going to do about Emily?" Riley finally asked. "Dragging her into all this, what if it does turn into something?" Riley sighed. "How do we protect our child?"

"If it turns into something more, you're going home with Emily." Bucky said.

Riley narrowed her eyes now, matching his pose by folding her arms across her chest. "And let you have all the fun?"

"Someone has to keep her safe."

"We both can."

Bucky rolled his eyes, frustration on his face as he looked at her. "Now are we going to fight?"

"Can't we just skip the fight and go to the other thing." She offered. It didn't take long for Bucky to accept her proposal, she was in his arms in mere seconds. They'd discuss what to do about Emily in the morning, for now, they had frustration to get out.

* * *

He had gotten up twice to check on the baby that night, he wasn't getting much sleep anyway. He was very relieved that the red head next to him was out for the count. She wasn't having full nights either, at least she could have this one. He didn't mind. His nickname was not an exaggeration; he was sneak out of bed twice and back in unnoticed. Perks of being one of the most dangerous assassins in the world.

After the second time out of bed, Bucky slowly and quietly snuck back into his bed; a smile on his face as he watched the red head sleep. He carefully wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to his chest as he felt her breathing softly and quietly. The smell of her, the feel of her. She was his everything and anything else was insignificant.

Was he making the right choice? Were _they_ making the right choice? Bucky knew they were safer here, that wasn't a doubt. However, they were like moths to a flame; they were _desperate_ to get back into the field. Not that being a parent wasn't fulfilling, it just seemed to happen so quickly. Neither one was really prepared for it.

Steve needed him; he knew that deep in his gut. He owed Steve everything, like he owed Riley everything. In that deafening silence as the morning sun began to creep into the room; he made his decision. They'd go home, he'd help Steve. However, in the moment that things changed for the worse, he'd take his family back to Brazil. That was a bargain he could live with.

He felt her begin to stir. 'Right on schedule.' He thought to himself as she stretched as much as she could in his grasp before slowly rolling over to face him. Her eyes blinked open; focusing on the man next to her. The barely lit room creating shadows on both of their faces as she forced a tired smile. "Emily?" She asked, her voice groggy.

"She's fine." Bucky assured her softly. "You can go back to sleep."

Riley stretched again, yawning as she moved closer to Bucky. "No, it's okay." She said. "We have to be up soon anyway."

Bucky kissed the top of her head. "We'll go to help Steve." He said. "But if things get hot, we're coming home. All of us. Okay?"

Riley smiled into his chest as he held her. "I love you, Ghost."

"Yeah, yeah. I know, I'm pretty great." He teased, causing Riley to hit him playfully. Bucky gently rolled on top of her; looking down at the now giggling love of his life. "I'm going to keep you and Emily safe, I promise that."

"Here you go making promises again." Riley said with a smile.

"I've told you before; my promises to you I'm never going to break."

"Except killing me." She reminded him.

"Hey, we still have time for that." He said. "I just need more time."

She rolled her eyes. "You've had plenty of time and more opportune moments than anyone."

Bucky lowered himself closer to the red head, muttering into her lips before kissing her. "Don't tempt me, woman."

Their loving moment would only last for so long as a knock came at the front door. The two sighed in unison as Bucky rolled off Riley. "Guess we should start packing."

Bucky was first to get out of bed. "Get whatever you can in a suitcase, get some things for Emily. I'll go talk to them."

Riley silently agreed as she got out of bed and began to pack a few things. She didn't really know how long they'd be away for, plus, they could go shopping in New York if they had to. Little did anyone know just how drastic things would change in the next coming days.

* * *

 **Final Thoughts:** Sorry for the wait again! Thank you for reading and remember to review!


	4. Back At The Tower

**Author's Note!:** Thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing and following and favorites! I'm so excited to be continuing this story for you all!

Don't forget to review! Reviews are what keeps this story going! I love hearing from you! **_You_** make this story what is it! So please say hi!

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 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I only own my OC's and this box of chocolate that I bought today.

* * *

 _She felt trapped. Suffocated. Stuck. She couldn't move her body; it didn't feel real. She was frozen to the spot as air left the room. She didn't need it. She never needed it. But the feeling of no control was driving her mad as the room began to spin. She could hardly see anything but she knew it was spinning. The darkness around her swirled and morphed; creating shadows. Not just any shadows, shadows of people. People she once knew._

 _There he was. Like in all her nightmares. The frail, older gentleman with the genuine smile. This is how they started every time. He would slowly come to view out of the shadows, and smile. At first, it was comforting; then the dream would take a different turn. She'd kill him. Like she had done so many times before in her nightmares, like she had done for real. However, until that moment, she would hear him say something, which only made it worse._

 _"RJ." He said, his smile fleeting earlier than normal. "RJ, something is coming." He warned. This was new, this was different. He never warned her of anything. "Protect her at all cost." He said. "Promise me you'll protect her."_

 _"Protect who?" Riley asked, she could feel her arm begin to twitch. She knew it was only a matter of time before she would kill him again. "Granddad, who?"_

 _"Protect Emily." He said once more before the even more painful part arrived. "I'm proud of you, kiddo."_

 _Riley could feel her arm rise, uncontrollably. The gun was in her hand, ready to pull the trigger. "I'm sorry." Riley said, choking on tears as she fired the gun. She killed him once again. Like every night; the unchangeable nightmare changed only slightly but, ended with the same theme as Riley woke with a start._

* * *

Her body was covered in a cold sweat as she jolted upright. The unfamiliar room disorienting her for a few moments before she regained her bearings. The sound of traffic rushing by outside the window, the dim grey light of another day. "Right, New York." She said in an airy whisper as she placed her head in her hands.

It wasn't long before the concerned Sergeant Barnes snuck into the room, quiet as ever. Riley was expecting him though; he always showed up after a rough nightmare. "Emmet?" He asked.

Riley took a moment before responding. "Yeah."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Do I ever?" She replied dryly before lifting her head up to see him. Concern mixed with a frown adorned his face as he watched her carefully. "Where are we?" She asked.

"You fell asleep on the ride in, I felt bad waking you so I just carried you in. Sorry, I know you hate that." Riley just grinned a simple No shit, Sherlock, grin. "Avengers Tower."

Riley nodded. "Emily?"

Bucky growled in his throat before responding. "Natasha."

"Look at it this way, Buck. We have a free babysitter."

"An assassin babysitter." He corrected.

"And what are we?" She said in a teasing tone before stretching. "What's on the agenda?"

Bucky unfolded his arms, relaxing a little more as he watched Riley climb out of the bed. She was okay, he knew that. However, he knew there were days when she wasn't okay from her nightmares. He swore he'd be there when she would wake up, just in case. "There was a meeting this morning that we missed. Steve, Sam, Tony and a few others are coming back to the tower now."

"Others?" Riley repeated.

Bucky just shrugged. "I didn't really care to know who."

"I'm surprised." She said as she waltzed over to the soldier. "You usually want to know all the details when people are going to be around your daughter."

He smirked as he wrapped his arms around her. "I just left her with an assassin, I think I'm getting better at not being so overprotective."

"I fear for her first boyfriend."

He groaned. "No dating until she's fifty." Riley just laughed as he pulled her closer to his chest, holding her close to him as he rested his chin on the top of her head. Sometimes, he forgot just how much taller he was than her. "You know, you can talk to me about your nightmares."

She bit her lip as she buried her head in his chest. "I know." She said with a sigh before pulling away. "We have more important stuff to worry about right now."

He knew she was dodging the issue; that was something he'd have to fight her on another time. She was right, they had other things to worry about now. "Let's go say 'hi'." He said. And to his surprise, she took his hand in hers. Something she didn't do unless she felt uneasy. That, in turn, just made him feel a little uneasy himself.

* * *

"This baby is cramping my style." Stark said, eyeing the child nervously as she simply smiled up at him. "Who brought the kid?"

"She's Bucky and Riley's kid." Barton said, receiving a confused look from Stark. Clint just sighed. "Terminator and Deadshot."

"Those two had a kid?" Stark asked incredulously. "I thought they were trying to kill each other."

"We are." Bucky said as the two entered the room. "Just waiting until the baby is out of the house."

"Well don't let Pep see it." Stark warned. "Don't need her getting ideas."

Before Riley could quip a wryly comeback, two other familiar faces entered the Observatory deck. The star spangled man and his new second hand walked in, Steve Rogers beaming as he saw his friend for the first time in what felt like years. The four met in the middle, Steve and Bucky exchanging the first round of hugs as they embraced. "Hey, jerk." Steve said. "Bout time you two came for a visit."

"Yeah, well, having a kid makes it hard." Bucky replied with a smile as the two pulled away.

Riley was already hugging Sam. "Hello to you, mommy." He said teasingly, causing Riley to laugh. "You look great." Sam said as the two pulled away.

Riley looked at Steve. "Captain." She said as he pulled her in for a hug.

"I hope he's behaving himself." Steve said jokingly.

"Not at all." Riley replied as they stopped hugging.

"It's nice seeing you two and all." Sam said. "But, I believe we have a little lady to meet."

Bucky sighed. "She gets all the attention."

"Nobody likes us anymore." Riley feigned hurt.

"They didn't like us to begin with." Bucky corrected as he watched Steve and Sam walk over to where Natasha sat playing with his daughter.

Riley shrugged. "I thought we were cool."

"We're very cool."

"No you're not!" Barton chimed in, receiving death glares from the two assassins.

* * *

The perks of being an assassin; the gift of multitasking came easy. Riley was able to watch as people played with her daughter from a distance, and could take notice to the new faces entering the room. "T'Challa." Barton said as he stood next to her, nodding slightly at the man who stood somewhat a distance from everyone else. "Black Panther, another Super from Wakanda."

"And what about the nerd over by Stark?" Riley asked, her eyes locking to a thinner man with brown hair.

Barton chuckled. "That nerd is one of the smartest guys around. That's Reed Richards."

"Mister Fantastic." Riley concluded, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Are the rest of the Four here?"

"Somewhere." Barton confirmed. "There's a weird resemblance between Johnny Storm and the Captain too."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Barton said. "When they're in the room together, you'll see."

Riley shrugged, smirking slightly. "I believe you." She said as another mysterious face walked in, a much younger face. "He looks like he's fourteen."

"Sixteen, actually." Barton corrected her. "Spider-Man."

Riley's jaw dropped. "No way."

"We didn't know he was that young either. He's also a total punk kid."

"You think all kids are punks, old man." Riley said playfully.

Clint rolled his eyes. "Pietro was a punk."

Riley just shook her head at the mention of Pietro. "Speaking of, I haven't seen him or Wanda yet."

"They're in the mix of Supers somewhere." With that, the elevator door to the Observatory Deck opened. An older man in a wheel chair accompanied by a woman with white hair, slowly came into the room. It was hard not to notice them. "Professor X and Aurora Monroe."

"Mutants?" Barton just nodded. "I think I need a drink."

"Don't like Mutants, Rye?"

"Never said that." Riley said. "It's just way too many supreme beings in one room for my taste." She said. "Plus, Starks ego is suffocating me."

Barton laughed a little more this time. "The bar downstairs just opened. Stark said he needed a place to get away from everyone, or maybe it was to make a place where everyone can go away from him. Not really sure." He said. "But I must warn you, if you meet Logan, he's kind-of a stick in the mud."

"Keep an eye on my daughter, make sure Nat doesn't steal her." She said, walking away from Barton.

"No promises." He muttered, his eyes focusing back to the group around him.

* * *

The amount of Supers and Mutants was becoming quite daunting to Riley. She didn't have anything special she brought to the table. Sure, the twenty-seven year old have a lot going for her but, she didn't have anything special going for her.

She wandered into the bar downstairs, it definitely had the Stark touch she decided as she sat down two seats from a man who looked too angry for her taste. Riley ordered herself a whiskey and ginger ale and sighed into her drink. "Too much action for you too?" She mumbled to the guy two seats down.

He grumbled. "Too much arguing with people who don't understand shit." He didn't look away from his drink.

Riley shrugged. "No one's arguing just yet but, the latter, I can't dispute."

The guy's body jerked slightly, Riley was unsure if he had laughed or hiccupped. "So what are you, a Super or Mutant?"

"Neither, assassin with nothing exciting." Riley said, taking a swig.

He grunted. "Assassin who likes drinking."

Riley grinned. "Nothing wrong with a drink now and then. How about you, stranger?"

"I love drinking." He mumbled into his cup.

"I can see that." She said playfully. "I meant are you a Super or Mutant or neither?"

"I guess Mutant." He stated flatly, finally sitting upright and turning to look at her. Riley finally got a good look at him; mutton chops, his hair slightly crazy. He wasn't exactly friendly but Riley kind-of like that. "That's not a problem, is it?"

Riley shrugged. "Only if you make it."

The two stared each other down, neither one flinching before the man finally called to the bartender. "Another round for the kid and me." His eyes didn't leave Riley.

Riley smiled. "Very kind of you."

"It's free, nothing special." He said stiffly.

"Right." She said, rolling her eyes. "I'm Riley."

"Logan." He was short and to the point as he turned back to the bar to face his freshly replenished drink.

"Ah, so you're the stick in the mud?" Riley mused as she received a glare from Logan. "It's what I've heard. I think you're quite fun." Riley immediately said, hoping she didn't just piss off this guy.

"Well, I'm a stick in the mud because of the idiots upstairs." He said, taking a big gulp of his drink. "So why are you here, Riley?" The way he said her name was a little intimidating.

"It's a bar. However, I assume you mean at the Avengers Tower." She said. "Honestly, I don't really know. I came here to help and I don't even know if I can do that."

"At least you're honest." Their conversation seemed to dissipate after that as Riley turned her attention back to her drink. Sure, she had more questions for Logan; like what his ability was, why he was so grumpy. Of course, he wasn't exactly the most talkative person either.

Riley wouldn't be alone in silence for long though. He seemed to appear out of nowhere, however, that didn't seem too farfetched for him. He was grinning, leaning against the bar as he looked at her. "Beautiful women shouldn't sit alone." He said, his accent thick.

Riley rolled her eyes, although, she couldn't help but be happy to see him. "Have a seat, kid."

"You say kid but, I'm only a year younger." He was instantly sitting.

"Why are you here, Pietro?" She asked a question she already knew the answer to.

"Wanda and I went to the Observation Deck and I saw the metal armed soldier and knew you must be here too." He said with a wink. "I heard you were at the bar so I came down here before he could smash my face in."

Riley couldn't help but laugh. "Great, so he's going to be in a piss poor mood when he finally does get down here."

"That's the plan." He said with his boyish charm.

Riley took a sip of her whiskey. "How are things, Pietro? How's Wanda and how's the Avenger life treating you?"

"Boring." He said with a sigh. "There's no soldier to piss off. Wanda makes sure I'm on my best behavior. That goody-good."

"You're bad."

"It's what makes me charming." He said as his eyes locked to the entrance to the bar. "Here's my exit cue."

Riley looked over to see an enraged Winter Soldier storm into the bar, his fists clenched. Something told her that Pietro probably did a lot more to him than he was letting on. "You!" He said through clenched teeth as he stomped over to the laughing punk next to Riley.

Riley rolled her eyes as Bucky tried to grab the speedster, failing miserably. She sighed, noticing Logan was now looking at her and even more ticked off than before. "You didn't mention you were in a lover's triangle."

Riley scoffed. "I'm not. He just likes to get a rise out of my soldier." Riley looked at Bucky again, still flailing and trying to catch Pietro. "Which he's very good at."

He snorted before chugging the rest of his drink and standing. Casually and with purpose he turned, seeing the metal armed soldier now had the speedy kid up against the wall, holding him there and ready to knock him out. Logan sighed, walking up to Bucky and grabbing him by the back of his shirt and pulling him off Pietro with force. Bucky stumbled back, glaring at Logan. "This isn't your business!" He hissed as he came at Logan.

Logan then revealed what he could do. A mere two centimeters from Bucky's face were razor sharp claws. Logan had one hand pointed at Bucky, and the other at Pietro. "You kids done?" He threatened.

Bucky glared. "Kid?"

Pietro laughed. "He's a grandpa, Logan."

"Being in and out of cryo-sleep doesn't count." Bucky growled at Pietro.

"It's okay, Logan's an old man too. You both can reminisce about the old days and yell at kids to get off your lawn." Pietro suggested with a smirk.

"Kid, I will run you through." Logan threatened.

"Please do." Bucky said dryly.

Riley finally had enough. "Alright, you three. Grow up." She said. The three quickly began to protest as to who started the fight, only to get nowhere in their fight. Riley groaned. "Fine, kill each other. I have more important things to tend to." Riley said as she left the bar scene, the three _children_ behind to sort out their problems as she headed back upstairs to watch her daughter… since the father of her child was currently… busy.

* * *

When Riley returned to the Observation Deck, she began to really notice the divided room. Friends seemed to distance themselves from one another, like Natasha and Clint. Stark and Rogers normally weren't friends, however, they seemed even more distant in the room than ever. There was a weird tension in the air, something Riley couldn't really place. That was when she started to understand that there were just something that wasn't explained to them before their arrival.

She didn't know where to stand, afraid that talking to anyone would predetermine her side on the issue at hand. Even though she didn't exactly know the full issue. It didn't matter to them. "It's fun, no?" Riley turned to see the welcoming, warm smile of Wanda Maximoff. "You're not the first to be completely befuddled and you won't be the last."

Riley nodded. "Figures. It's nice to see you again."

"Same to you. I hear things are going well, your daughter is adorable."

She couldn't help but smile at the mention of Emily. "She's the best part of my life, I must say. Speaking of Emily—"

"Natasha won't let her go." Wanda said with slight teasing. "Which makes a lot of people unhappy they can't really meet her yet."

Riley rocked on her heels. "Well, can _you_ tell me what's really going on? Everyone is being so cryptic."

"That would mean I'd know what's going on to tell you anything." She said somewhat sympathetically. "Everyone is divided on what should be done about the Supers and Mutants. No one can agree and it's becoming a giant headache." Wanda informed Riley. "However, from what I understand, there should be a decision by the end of this week and hopefully tomorrow Stark or Steve can come up with a good plan for them to decide on."

"So if one wins the other—"

"Won't be happy." Wanda said finishing her sentence.

"Let's hope that a plan comes out where everyone can at least _agree_." A sudden smile that seemed to be out of place appeared on Wanda's lips. "The boys are coming back upstairs."

The elevator door opened, revealing a still arguing Sergeant Barnes and a snickering Pietro Maximoff. Riley rolled her eyes. "Your brother is just asking for it."

"I know."

"Let me go calm him down and save your brother's life." Riley said with a laugh as she dismissed herself from the conversation and walked over to Bucky. "Pietro, are you done pestering him, at least for tonight?" She asked.

Pietro smirked. "For you, princess, I'll stop." Before Bucky could protest, Pietro was across the room.

Bucky, with a glare on his face, looking at Riley. "He's going to get a mouth full of metal soon, doll."

Riley smiled. "Hello, forties Bucky." She said quietly; the glare on Bucky's face slowly dissipated at her comment. He groaned slightly before pulling her close with his metal arm and kissing her forehead. "Get any information for the situation up here?" He asked.

Riley shrugged. "I have an idea but, now I'm concerned."

"What's that?" He asked, pulling away from her slightly.

"Well, it seems like everyone is picking sides." She said. "What happens if we need to pick sides?"

"I'm neutral. Just here to show good faith to the government and then we're going home. We aren't getting in the middle of this." Bucky offered.

"Promise?" Riley asked almost mouse like.

He smirked. " _Now_ who's looking to make promises?" Riley playfully hit his arm. Bucky was right, she figured. They weren't here to get in the middle of this. If things got bad, they were out. Their biggest concern now was getting their daughter back from Natasha.

* * *

 **Final Thought:** Thank you for reading! Remember to review!


	5. Confide In Me

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I wanted to give you all a chapter before the thanksgiving break. I'm going to be pretty busy until next week! I apologize it's short but it's a setup chapter that hints at the craziness to come!

Remember to review! I'd love for something to come back to!

Thank you Lynnspid5 for your review!

The rest of you… you know the drill!

 **Read, Review, and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I wish I owned Marvel, I really do. However, I only own my OC's!

Riley wasn't exactly sneaking out of bed at four in the morning. She knew Ghost wouldn't sleep through that; he'd be awake with her shortly. It wasn't something out of the ordinary as of late. Riley just couldn't sleep for long. However, a moment of peace and quiet before the soldier joined her would be good for her.

She wandered up to the Observatory Deck, the room lit barely by the city lights as she walked over to the window. With an exhausted sigh, she stood a few inches from the window and stared at the scene before her. ' _This place really doesn't sleep.'_ She thought to herself as her eyes fixated on the busy morning. It truly was the city that never sleeps and she felt comforted by that notion in her sleepless hour. "You're up late."

Riley jumped; startled at the sudden noise before turning to see Tony Stark lounging lazily on the couch with a drink in his hand. The scenario wasn't all too surprising now that Riley thought about it. "You're one to talk, Stark."

"It's the only time this place is quiet." He commented smugly before taking a sip of his drink. "Gives me some time to think." He eyed her. "Now you on the other hand; you wandering around is new."

"Sorry I had to disrupt your quiet time." She said not exactly apologetically.

Stark shrugged. "I'm used to someone disrupting me. Can't change that. Have a seat, Deadshot." He motioned to the space across from him. Hesitantly, Riley obliged and sat across from the billionaire. "Any reason you're up?"

Riley sighed as she rubbed her temples tiredly, aware of the eyes that were watching her every move. "There's never not a reason for someone to be wandering around late at night."

Stark nodded once. "I suppose that's true." The ice in his glass clanked as he shifted slightly. "Terminator mentioned in passing you don't sleep anymore. That you're still having nightmares about your Granddad." Stark began, his tone changing to a more supportive one. "You can't relive your past through nightmares, they're not real. What should be concerning you now is moving passed them and protecting your little girl."

"Kind-of hard when I brought her into this mess." She said stiffly.

"This mess isn't the problem." Stark said easily. "It's the course of action that needs to be taken because of it. Protecting your little girl should be your number one priority. How can you do that in a world of unknown?"

"As a parent, you just kind-of do that." Riley said dismissively.

Stark shrugged. "I give you credit. However, I'd like to know more of the dangers out there."

She was tired; she didn't want to play his games. "What are you getting at, Stark?"

Tony sat forward now. "We don't know what's out there, _who's_ out there. Wouldn't you feel safer knowing? Having a way to determine the threat before it actually happens?"

"I'm not a psychic." She replied.

"But what if we had a way to know what these Supers and Mutants could do. Sure, we know we're the good guys but, we don't know about the others out there." He said. "We know they're out there but, how do we determine who's on our sides."

"If they're not attacking us then they're good." Riley concluded.

Stark tipped his glass to the woman. "If only it were that easy, Deadshot. We need regulation, we need to know how to protect our future; your children's futures. We can't do that by fighting the unknown."

Riley took the bait. "Then what do you propose we do?"

"The public hates us. Let's face it, they've hated us since Sokovia." He began. "They're afraid of what we can do. What if—" He paused, thinking. "What if there was a regulation set in place preventing vigilantes from doing just that and were actually part of a task force?"

"Not everyone wants to join the Avengers, Stark."

"Right, but, think of it this way. To stop fear from spreading, if a Super doesn't want to assist the task force then they shouldn't be allowed to be a vigilante. Vigilantism is illegal as it is, and unregistered Supers are causing unsafe situations. There's not balance."

Riley sighed. "You want to stop vigilantes and regulate who can help. How would you do that?"

Stark shrugged. "Not sure yet. Imagine it though, Deadshot. You wouldn't need to come back into the game unless you were needed. Coming here today, you weren't needed. Rogers just wanted the extra bodies. You could be home with your daughter; safe. Take the missions and side jobs on _your_ schedule." He took another sip of his drink. "Imagine a world where those who know how to save the world do so with little to no casualties."

Riley relaxed slightly. "It's not a crazy plan." She admitted. He was on to something, what _if_ they could regulate who could help and train the new Supers on how to save the world. Less of a mess to clean up.

"I thought so too." He said smugly. "That's what I want, a safer world. We can't be safe with just anyone running around with powers. We need a system. That's how we keep the world safe, that's how we keep the future safe; baby Terminator will be safe." Riley narrowed her eyes at him. "Hey, I'm not good with names."

"What do you hope to gain by telling me your ideas, Stark?"

Tony just shrugged, noticing another person entering the Observation Deck. "I'm just telling you what's keeping me up at night."

Riley saw his attention locked on the extra presence, she turned just enough to see the metal armed soldier walk around the couch and now standing in front of her. He looked tired as he ran his metal hand through his hair; Riley noticed it was definitely getting longer, almost as shaggy was when they first met. "Plan on coming back to bed anytime soon, doll?" He asked, his voice hoarse from recently waking up.

Riley looked at Stark, he gave her a nod as if to say _go ahead_. She took her cue and smiled at her Winter Soldier as she stood up. "Yeah, let's go."

"Do try and get some sleep you two." Stark mumbled into his glass. "We have a busy day ahead of us."

Bucky grumbled something inaudible as he walked with Riley back to their room in the Tower. "What did you guys talk about?" He asked.

"The future." Riley said, she wasn't exactly dodging the question. Bucky didn't like her answer but took it for what it was as they walked into the room.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." He warned in a hushed voice. "We're not here to take sides."

Riley sighed as she got back into bed, Bucky following as he lied down next to her. "I have a feeling we won't have a choice."

Bucky closed his eyes, pulling Riley close to his chest. He just wanted to sleep, one good night's rest. That was all he asked for. He also desperately wanted the red head next to him to get some sleep; albeit impossible lately. "I promised you we wouldn't get in the middle of it."

She was afraid, something in the back of her mind was sending red flags. She didn't know exactly what she should be afraid of but, it was there. Lingering and torturing her as it sat in the back of her mind. "I love you, Ghost." She whispered.

"I'll love you even more if we get to sleep." He mumbled teasingly into her hair before relaxing again. With a deep breath, Riley felt her body begin to relax with his. Just as Bucky felt himself drifting off into dream land, a small cry came from the crib in the corner of the room. He sighed heavily, sleep was just not going to be possible. "I got her." He said, getting out of bed once more and heading over to check on his daughter. The women in his life were determined to keep him awake forever, he was certain of it now.

A few hours later, Bucky found himself sitting in the Observation Deck again, this time with a bowl of cereal and a few others partaking in breakfast too. He kept to himself as the man known as The Human Torch teased the other man known as The Thing over eating rocks for breakfast. A woman was with them, shaking her head in disapproval as she reprimanded them. Bucky could only assume that the woman was Sue Storm. "It's like a goddamn kindergarten here." Logan grumbled on the sofa across from Bucky as he tried to read the morning newspaper. Bucky smirked as he shoveled another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. He couldn't agree more with the guy. "So you're married to that red headed assassin?" Logan muttered.

"Riley?" He looked up from his almost empty bowl of cereal. "Not yet."

"But you have a kid?"

Bucky shrugged. "We're assassins, not exactly following a righteous path here."

Logan's body moved slightly, Bucky was unsure if that was a laugh or a grunt that came from the man. The two were then immediately and very suddenly joined by the smirking speedster as he sat between them. "Good morning, boys." He said.

Bucky rolled his eyes. "It was good until you showed up."

Pietro smirked as Logan glared at the kid. "You have ten seconds to disappear before I shove this newspaper up your—"

Pietro's laugh interrupted Logan. "We're all on the same team here."

"Are we?" Logan replied with sarcasm.

Pietro rolled his eyes. "Fine then, I know when I'm not welcomed. But I know a pretty red head who always loves to see me." With that, he was gone. His words registering with Bucky seconds later, causing him to break the breakfast bowl in his metal hand as he clenched his fist. Now Logan was actually laughing.

"First time eating breakfast, Buck?" The grinning face of Sam joined the two as he plopped down on the couch. "You know he only does it for the reaction."

"Well aware." Bucky grumbled, picking up the pieces of the bowl that fell onto the floor. "Where's Steve?"

"Getting ready, like we all should be doing." Sam said. "Big day down at the UN." He eyed the soldier for a moment. "And you look exhausted."

Bucky smirked slightly as he stood up with the pieces of bowl in his hand. "I have a sixth month old and a red head that doesn't sleep for more than a few hours. Tell me again how I look exhausted." He replied, walking away from the two on the couch and over to the Fantastic Four.

"Can you settle something for us, kid?" Ben Grimm, aka The Thing asked Bucky as he threw out the pieces of bowl. Bucky looked at Ben and Johnny Storm, Ben grinning slightly. "You're Captain America's best friend, right?"

"So I'm told." Bucky replied somewhat sarcastically.

"Does my friend here look like the good Captain?" Bucky looked at Johnny, a smirk growing on his face when he noticed there really was a resemblance. His smirk caused Ben, Susan to laugh as Johnny narrowed his eyes.

"I don't see it!" Johnny said defensively. "You're all just saying that now!"

Bucky just kept the sly smirk on his face as he walked away from the group and headed for his room; ready to punch the speedster in the nose if he was anywhere near his family.

"So you're not coming today?" Natasha asked as she stood in the doorway of Riley's room. Riley was getting the baby dressed and ready for breakfast.

"Some of us have to stay home and guard the nest." Riley joked, receiving a wryly smile from Natasha. "I think you guys can handle it without me. Bucky's going."

"And your Bucky will side with Rogers no matter what." Natasha mentioned in passing.

Riley looked at her assassin companion curiously. "Meaning?"

"Meaning if things go down, he's going to be with Rogers no matter what. That's what best friends do." Natasha said. "' _Til the end of the line_ , remember _?_ "

Riley scoffed. "He's not joining _any_ side. If things happen, we're going home."

"You really think that'll be the case?" Natasha asked. "Something is going to happen; Stark and Rogers are fighting for different causes."

"And where do you stand in all this, Natasha?" Riley asked, somewhat accusingly as she held Emily close.

Natasha shrugged. "I think Stark is onto something. I think we need to know who's out there and what they can do. Supers need to be regulated, we can't all just go out and try to fight the good fight. That's dangerous."

"So you'd rather be called on for missions?"

"What's the difference from what we do now?" Natasha had a point. "We're on call as is. We need some form of balance here."

Riley nodded, restating her stand. "We're going home. If anything happens; we are leaving. He promised me."

"Then that's that." Natasha said as Bucky rounded the corner and towards the room.

"Romanoff." He said dismissively.

"Winter Soldier." She returned the tone, receiving a death glare from Barnes as he pushed passed her and into the room.

His glare softened and was replaced with a bright smile when he saw his daughter. Emily giggled as Bucky took her from Riley. "She's such a daddy's girl." Riley commented with an eye roll. "When do you guys leave?"

Bucky looked at Natasha. "As soon as Rogers and Stark are ready."

"Who's all going again?" Riley asked.

"Everyone except the twins, Logan and I believe Vision." Natasha said.

Bucky's face dropped. "Fantastic." He said sarcastically. "The one person I didn't want near my family." He spat at the thought of Pietro.

Riley smiled. "Relax, Buck. We'll be fine."

"You guys can come with us." Bucky suggested, his intentions of keeping Pietro away from them was clear in his tone.

"I'm not bringing Emily into that playground." Riley said, leaning up and kissing his cheek. "We'll be fine." She reassured him with a smile.

The trio were then interrupted by another wandering Avenger, Clint Barton, as he passed by. "There you guys are." He said, stopping to announce to the room. "Stark and Rogers are waiting for everyone upstairs, we're heading out."

"I'll be right up." Bucky said, looking at his family.

"Don't take too long, everyone's on edge as is." Natasha said with only a small hint of teasing, she wasn't exactly wrong. Natasha and Barton left the room, giving Bucky and Riley their privacy.

Riley felt that pit growing in her stomach again as she watched Bucky hold his daughter close for a loving embrace; one he didn't want to end. "Play nice with everyone." Riley warned light heartedly.

"I always play nice." Bucky replied with a snicker. Reluctantly, Bucky handed his daughter to Riley but not before stealing a quick kiss. "You can still come, you know."

"Next time, Sergeant Barnes." She said with a smile before he kissed her again. "Don't keep them waiting."

With a quick nod, Bucky unenthusiastically joined the group upstairs; unsure of what to expect at the United Nations. They knew things were taking a turn for the worse but, no one really knew just _how_ worse things were about to get.

 **Final Thought:** Thank you for reading! Remember to review! Things are about to get crazy!


	6. A Divided United Nation

**Author's Note:** Hi guys! Sorry for the long wait, it's been a busy month with school and the holidays coming up! I'm still here, don't worry! Also, sorry for the shorter chapter, things are going to get cooking soon so be ready!

Reviewers:

Lynnspid5: The tension and anxiety is only going to get worse! Stay tuned and thank you for reviewing!

Sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thank you!

MulishaMaiden: I loved the Civil War story, granted the end fell flat. I'm trying to take elements from that and what we sort-of know from the new movie! I'm glad you're enjoying!

Like it Random: I got nervous! I thought you weren't coming back to read anymore and then I saw your review and was super excited to have you back! Thank you!

Guys, remember to review! It really does help the writing process go much smoother and gets me really excited and pumped to write you a new chapter! So keep them coming!

You know the drill!

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** Do I really have to do this for every chapter? You know I don't own Marvel, right? RIGHT?!

* * *

Within the two-point-six seconds James Buchannan Barnes entered the United Nations lobby, he immediately looked for the nearest exit. His chest tightened and he began to lose his cool. Something about being in this room made him uncomfortable. Whether it was the amount of Supers and Mutants around him or the balding, older men with negative attitudes towards the former mentioned attendees, he'd decide that later. He felt like the moment he stepped into this building, he was in a losing battle. This sinking feeling was not helped when he was stopped at the main entrance due to the metal detector going off thanks to his arm. After arguing that he couldn't remove said arm and Steve coming to the rescue, it was safe to say Bucky Barnes had had enough.

What surprised Barnes, however, was the lack of witty comments coming from one Anthony Stark. In fact, Stark hadn't said much of anything that morning. ' _Come to think of it—_ ' He thought to himself. ' _Neither had Steve.'_ In those moments of deafening silence among his familiar group of supers, Bucky began to realize that his red head was right. The division of Supers and Mutants was becoming more abundantly clear. "You look tense." He heard to his right, only then realizing Sam had stood next to him. "I don't blame you, this place makes me uneasy too."

"What can I expect from this circus?" Bucky asked.

Sam smiled. "Honestly? A lot of yelling and throwing of chairs." He said dryly. "Although, after yesterday's meeting, the tables seem to be learning towards the Registration Act."

Bucky looked at sam quizzically. "Registration Act?"

"I guess Cap left that out." He said, not really surprised. "After Nitro and the whole Stamford thing, there's a lot of pro-registration talk out there. Basically, this means in order to be a Super Hero, you have to be registered with the United States government. They'll know anything and everything about you. Same with the Mutants, they have their own Act, but, same premise."

"That seems to be infringing on our rights, no?"

"Apparently the public doesn't seem to care." Sam said with a shrug. "The government wants to control what we do and how we do it."

"And Steve is against this?" Bucky asked.

Sam half-smiled as he joked. "Wouldn't you be after the fall of SHIELD?" Bucky reciprocated the half-smile at Sam's remark. It made sense, who could trust being run under a Government organization after all that's happened? "Come on, let's get a good seat." Sam offered as he nodded to the entrance to the main room. It took everything in Bucky to move and follow Sam inside. That sinking feeling returning once more.

* * *

It was safe to say that Emily was the new favorite of the Avengers Tower, Riley was almost certain she'd never be able to spend quality time with her daughter at this point. Wanda now had the sixth month old, floating blocks in front of the baby as she squealed in delight at the wonders before her.

Riley sat on the couch of the Observation Deck, watching Wanda play with her daughter. Logan sat across from her, she was almost certain he hadn't moved all day from that spot. Not that it was any of her business as to why, although, she assumed it had to do with the broadcast now on the television. Live from the United Nations, they'd be able to see and hear everything going on.

Pietro had joined them, a bowl of popcorn in his hand as he suddenly appeared next to Riley on the couch. "Did I miss anything?" He asked, popping a piece in his mouth.

Riley gave him a knowing look. "Nothing's happened yet."

"Hopefully nothing will continue to happen and this Registration Act can be vetoed." Wanda said.

"Registration Act?" Riley asked.

Pietro and Wanda gave each other a quick look before Wanda filled her in. "What happened in Sokovia raised a lot of awareness to the Avengers. The government wants to regulate what Supers do, as you know."

Riley nodded. "Right, but, I didn't know there was already an Act on the table."

"After Stamford, the need for action escalated. The Registration Act basically means we have to work under the government now, our identities exposed to their records and everything we do has to be sanctioned by them."

"But the world knows most of our identities anyway." Riley said.

"That's not exactly our biggest issue." Wanda began. "With this Act in play, we lose our freedom to help whenever we want."

"If this keeps the public safe." Riley offered. "Vigilantism is illegal as it is. More people get hurt when we try to act on our own. Maybe we have too much power?"

"I agree, we have too much power but, I don't think being regulated by the Government is going to help that." Wanda said. "You can't put a limit on heroes."

Riley nodded. "What do you think will happen if this does pass?"

"Hopefully we can be adults about it." Pietro said with a smirk. "The show's about to start." He motioned to the television before shoveling more popcorn into his mouth.

* * *

Bucky tensed as he listened to Stark and Rogers verbally battle at the front of the room. He had to admit, both sides had good points. However, he knew where his allegiance would align in the end. That was his bias, it was obvious. Steve had pleaded his case, stating that this Act would prevent Supers, not just himself, but all Supers alike from doing their job. He had had a good run with his debate until Stark chimed in that there was a need for regulation. That Supers couldn't be an ultimate power, that there were checks and balances needed. Granted, Rogers came back that there were no checks and balances when the Government was in control.

Then, another man stood. Sam leaned closer to Bucky, noticing the concern on the soldier's face. "That's General Thaddeus Ross." He explained. "He's now our secretary of defense and pro-registration."

"Safe to assume we don't like him." Bucky said smugly, Sam chuckled in reply as they listened to General Ross.

"We appreciate the work you have done, Captain." General Ross began, looking to the crowd and addressing them. "The world appreciates what all of you have done. However—" He looked back at Steve Rogers. "You've had complete control for far too long; you've gone unregulated and unsupervised, and that needs to end. The public does not feel safe, not after Sokovia, not after Stamford. We must think of the people and their best interest. Supers and Mutants must be regulated. Until we can determine a course for Mutants, let us appeal to the Supers now. Vigilantism is illegal, plain and simple. If you're going to be a hero, you must follow the code of conduct, you must follow the Government ruling; there will be consequences otherwise."

"Are you going to arrest me?" Steve asked sternly. "Are you going to arrest anyone who stands against this?"

"We will arrest you and any other person or persons who break the law." Ross said.

"It's not the law just yet." Steve reminded him.

Stark interrupted their dispute. "What is the difference reporting and working directly with the Government and working with SHIELD?"

"SHIELD was actually a HYDRA front." Steve replied dryly.

"Lest we forget your best friend is an ex-HYDRA assassin." Stark said.

Bucky felt his entire body tense at that comment, it was a dirty shot; even Stark knew that. Sam leaned over to the soldier. "Easy, Buck." He said.

"This also brings my point of not knowing who is on which side." Ross said, addressing the United Nation as a whole. "We have an ex-HYDRA operative sitting in this very room."

"He was brainwashed." Steve interrupted.

"That may be but, does the public know that?" Ross said. "How does the public know that he was brainwashed? How do they know they can trust him?" People began to talk amongst themselves; Bucky felt all eyes fall to him in that moment. At least, it felt like all eyes were on him.

* * *

Riley 'booed' at the television as she threw popcorn at the screen along with Pietro and Wanda. She had just put Emily down for a nap and came back to hear Stark's comment. "How can Stark just single him out like that?" Riley asked.

Wanda smiled sympathetically. "A cheap shot that helped him."

"He does have a point." Pietro said with a shrug. "No one knows he's a good guy now."

"But will this Registration Act change the public view on that?" Wanda asked.

"Couldn't hurt." Pietro said.

Riley nodded. "It would show that he's on the good side now."

Wanda kept her eyes on the television screen as she spoke. "When has being a super hero ever had a positive public view?"

Silence came over the group as Riley cleared her throat, grabbing a piece of popcorn and slowly putting it in her mouth. What was going to happen to Bucky and people like Bucky when this law passes?

* * *

"I think we know what needs to be done." General Ross said, addressing the room. "This Registration Act needs to be passed. All Supers must report to the UN before any crisis can be addressed, the UN will determine if the crisis is worth sending in Supers for. Any Super acting against the UN will be arrested for violating the law."

"So you're saying not all innocent civilians are worth fighting for?" Rogers said, anger underlying his tone as he spoke.

Ross smiled coyly, taking in Roger's remark before replying. "Unnecessary casualties are not worth the risk, the death toll in civilian casualties has tripled with the involvement of Supers, and if it's a smaller crisis the government can handle it." Ross turned to the Nation once more. "Shall we vote?"

The vote was almost unanimous among the United Nations, Bucky knew that non-supers were just scared and voting out of fear. Now, there was a bigger divide in the room, this time it was among the Supers. Those that were for this Act and those against it, Bucky could sense the tension and in turn caused himself to tense up. "They're making a mistake." Sam said in passing. "They'll realize it when something bad happens."

"Hopefully it won't be too late." Barnes said through gritted teeth as the gentlemen stood up to exit the UN amongst the other Supers and non-supers alike. "I wasn't listening, when do we have to sign this thing?"

Sam gave Bucky a knowing look before informing his friend. "We have until the end of the week to turn over the Government and sign the doctrine stating we won't save the world without being under supervision anymore."

"And if I don't sign?"

"Better hope you're not caught doing anything good." Sam replied sarcastically. "Any idea what Riley feels about all this?"

Bucky shrugged. "She has a lot on her plate as is, I doubt she really thought about it."

"Still having nightmares?" Sam asked.

"Every damn night." Bucky said with a hint of frustration. "It's not her fault but, I'd really like to get a decent night's sleep."

"Maybe she can have Wanda tap into her mind again, help her ease her thoughts?"

Bucky glared harshly at the suggestion. "Not that again."

Before another word could be said, the two were joined by a defeated looking Steve Rogers. "There's the man of the hour." Sam said somewhat jokingly. "You did your best."

"Their minds were made up before I opened my mouth." Steve said, he had something else he wanted to say.

"What is it?" Bucky asked, he knew his friend well; Steve was terrible at hiding anything.

Steve's shoulders fell slightly. "They want to evaluate you to make sure you're fit to be on the Avengers. Same goes for Romanoff, Barton, and even Riley."

Bucky rolled his eyes. "You're kidding?"

"I'm not a fan of that either." Steve concluded.

"But that's only if I sign the damn papers right?" Bucky asked. "I don't have to be evaluated and neither does Riley if we just leave now?"

"You're thinking about not signing?" Steve asked, not really surprised.

"Don't tell me _you_ were." Bucky retorted.

Steve smiled slightly, a hint of mischief hiding in his words. "We'll see."

* * *

 **Final thought:** Thank you for reading, remember to review and happy holidays!


	7. The Truth About Riley J Campbell

**A/N:** Hi guys, thanks for being patient. David Bowie died this week and my there's a hole in my chest now. For those that don't know, I also write Labyrinth fanfics and have been a Bowie fan for all my life. So this was a really big blow. I had this chapter ready to go on Monday but it's just been so crazy and I've been really down about it. So thank you again for being patient, it means a lot.

One thing that is actually really frustrating as an author though: I know people are reading and favoriting the story and that's amazing and I love you guys for it but, please review. I know a lot of readers won't read stories with little to no reviews. Besides that, it's really encouraging and it really does help to read comments from people and being able to interact with you guys so, thank you to those who are reviewing but, please don't forget to.

Speaking of…

Reviewers:

Sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thank you very much!

Lynnspid5: I can't wait for CA: CW too! I'm really looking forward to it! Thank you so much for your review!

MulishaMaiden: Thank you! I'm really trying to build up as much as I can so when I destroy everything it means more… I mean what…?

Like it Random: I was getting worried! I hadn't seen reviews in a while and I'm so glad you came back and are still enjoying! Hopefully you'll get the notifications now! Thank you!

 **Also really important:** There is violence in this chapter… like… PTSD style violence so… I guess triggers.

And you guys know the drill….

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I really wish I owned Marvel, it would make not winning the lotto today much better.

* * *

Slowly and a little too coincidentally, Avengers and Supers alike began to arrive back to the Tower separately. There was still a divide between anti-registrations and pro-registration; although Riley knew it didn't matter in the end, the Act was passed. What more could be done? She couldn't handle the thickness in the air; it was suffocating in the Observatory. Quietly and somewhat unnoticed, she had left the Observatory Deck and headed down to her room to check on the baby.

Riley absentmindedly entered the room, stopping short as she realized she wasn't alone. He half-smiled at her as he stood there holding his daughter in his good arm. She was just waking up from her nap and still groggy as she snuggled into the safety of her father. "Hey." He said in a hushed tone as his eyes locked on Riley.

"Hey." She closed the door behind her and moved further into the room. Although her Ghost normally stood straight and tense, he seemed more agitated than normal. "So—"

He exhaled through his nostrils. "So?"

"What do we do?" She asked, straight to the point. There was no sense in dancing around the issue.

"We go home." It was as simple as that, go home and forget this had ever happened. There was nothing left for them here after all. "I promised you we'd go home and that's what we're doing."

Riley nodded, feeling her stomach begin to tie in knots. She knew this wasn't over, so did Barnes. "What happens if they need us; what if Steve needs us? Do we sign and register just in case?"

"I'm a war criminal, Rye." She felt the knot in her stomach begin to tighten at his somewhat out of place quip. "They want to analyze me, keep me locked up for the things I've done." He sighed, using his free hand to brush back his hair. Frustration was setting in again. "I'm not fit to be a Super. I never was. Steve won't need me."

"If their analysis clears your name—" She tried. "They've got to know it wasn't your fault, you were brainwashed."

He smirked slightly, it was a malicious smirk; not the wryly one she had come to love. "Doesn't matter, doll. I'm a war criminal, it's all semantics. Once a bad guy, always a bad guy."

"You're not a bad guy, Buck. Steve can vouch for you."

"Their analysis holds more weight than the super soldier who doesn't want to sign their Act either." Bucky said as Emily woke up a little more, fidgeting in his arms as he balanced her movement carefully. She was sitting upright now, looking around and more alert. Her smile throwing the intensity of the conversation as Riley smiled back at her daughter. "We're going home." Bucky said again, this time softer than the first time as he hugged Emily before handing her to Riley and exiting the room.

* * *

Steve Rogers wasn't the perfect man, he was far from perfect and wouldn't argue differently. He was against bullies of all shapes and sizes and that's what made him fight. He wanted to help the little guy, he wanted to make a change. This new Act restricted him from doing so and he knew that. Luckily, he wasn't the only one who knew that.

His newest fight for justice went by James Buchannan Barnes. Well, the _other_ side of him that had a lot of red in his leger. The version of him that hadn't gone unnoticed by the U.S. Government and was now wanted for questioning. Sure, Rogers had tried his best to prove his best friend's innocence. That wasn't enough. James Buchannan Barnes, the Winter Soldier, was a war criminal. Steve knew he would do anything and everything in his power to fight for Bucky's innocence; he just hoped he hadn't already lost.

"It would be better for Barnes if he just surrendered to the United States Government." Stark tried to reason with Steve as the two stood a great distance in Stark's lab. Tony was a little shocked that Rogers had agreed to meet with him. Although the two didn't see eye-to-eye on many issues, he felt he owed Rogers in some way by trying to help him with the best option. He knew the government wouldn't change their mind about Barnes, they needed to bring him in for questioning and possibly keep him for a short while. "The faster they get their analysis of Barnes over with, the faster we can move forward."

Steve pursed his lips as he haphazardly wandered on the far end of the lab, noting different features he hadn't really seen before; or rather, didn't understand. "And what happens if they don't like their analysis? What if it's already one sided as it is and they don't see him fit to function in society?"

"He's functioned so far." Stark shrugged.

"They already don't like him for the things he's done; things that weren't under his control." Steve added. "He's got a kid, Stark. We can't take him away from Riley and Emily."

Stark narrowed his brow, looking up from his work bench. "Be happy they don't know about Deadshot and her crazy mother. As far as they're concerned, she was part of the team that took down Nora."

"So was Bucky."

Stark sighed, frustration and exhaustion finally reaching his features as he rubbed his temples. His expression softened just enough to show he really wanted the best for Steve. "I don't think it would hurt Barnes' chances if he signed the Act and surrendered for analysis. I can't say the same if he ran."

"You really think this Act is the answer?" Steve asked.

"We need some sort of regulation, Cap. Can't keep answering to no one forever."

"A lot of innocents are not going to get the help they need if the Government doesn't see them as a _worthy_ case."

Stark countered. "They also won't be collateral damage if we stay out of it. Sokovia was just one incident of many."

"Ultron would have attacked innocents regardless if we were regulated or not."

"But creating him would have been a different story." Stark said. "I would have thought twice about creating him if I didn't have total access to the staff. A higher power than us would have taken it from me. One of our own let me experiment with it, that wouldn't happen if we had someone regulating us."

Steve gave Tony a pointed look. "You would have found a way around them. Forgive me for not being so eager to put my faith in another SHIELD like scenario."

The two stood silently now, staring mercilessly through one another. This fight would not end here, they both knew it was only beginning. "Just sign the damn Act, Rogers. Barnes has one more day to surrender and sign. " Without another word, Steve left the lab and a somewhat miffed Tony Stark behind.

* * *

Riley sat on the floor of Natasha's room with Emily sitting on her lap and squirming slightly. Natasha was almost expecting the woman and lacked any and all surprised expression when her assassin friend wandered into her room. "And now he's convinced he's a war criminal." She finished her earlier thought about the disappearance of her Winter Soldier. He had left her an hour ago and hadn't returned, Riley hoped he was still in the Tower at least.

"Well, he _is_ a war criminal." Natasha confirmed as she joined the other assassin on the floor. "They just don't realize he is stable and capable of functioning without any issues. He's one of the good guys now, Rye. He just has to prove it."

Riley shook her head in defeat. "He doesn't want to do that. He just wants to go home to Brazil and I do too."

"It's not going to happen that way." Natasha said. "It'll just make him look guilty if he runs. Also, he has you and the baby to think of. What happens of the Government deems him a threat if he runs? You don't want them to take away Emily's dad because he's just being stubborn."

Riley scrunched her nose in disapproval. "They're not going to take him away."

"They could if he doesn't try to clear his name. He should think about what's best for you and Emily."

"And what would that be?"

"Sign and prove you're on the good side." Natasha said. "Even if you two decide to stay out of the spotlight, it's not possible with a track record like Barnes'. He's on their radar. The best thing you two can do at this point is sign and show good faith."

Riley adjusted the squirming child on her lap once more. "Are they really going to arrest anyone that doesn't sign?"

"No, if you don't sign you're not allowed to meddle in the affairs of the world. Basically, if you get caught saving anyone without consent then yes, you will be arrested." Natasha shrugged. "It's no different than what we did back then, Rye. Always waiting for someone to hire us."

"What if that someone is the wrong person?"

"I don't think there's a right or wrong anymore, just a little worse than the rest." Natasha soon found herself begging. "Riley, the world knows about Barnes now. He was out at the United Nations for his crimes against most of those nations there. If he doesn't surrender, he's going to have to go into hiding. You two have a little girl, is that really the life you want for her?"

Riley looked down at her daughter. Sure, if it were just the two of them they'd run in a second. Now they had someone else to think about, they had Emily. Running was no longer an option anymore, she knew that. Riley just hoped Bucky would see it that way too.

* * *

It wasn't really a surprise when Sam mentioned there was a meeting of likeminded Supers. It still wasn't a surprise to Bucky that this meeting was off the record and in a small café downtown Manhattan, far from the Avengers Tower. What did surprise Bucky was the presence of Wanda and not Pietro in the meeting. He was convinced those two did everything together. "I'm getting real tired of these little get-togethers." Barnes quipped with as much sarcasm as his body could muster.

"You and me both." Barton murmured in reply as the group sat around the café table. "What is it, Cap?"

"They're coming for our signatures tomorrow." Steve said as he addressed the group. "I'm not signing."

Sam was the first to speak. "You know if you do that, we're going to be wanted men."

"They can't tell us who we can and cannot help. You know it's going to be an unfair regulation. It's time to stand up for the little guys." He looked to Bucky. "They want to take some of us for questioning, particularly Bucky."

Bucky snorted. "They think I'm unstable and unable to be on the good side."

"Which is far from the truth." Sam added.

"If you run, they'll chase you." Barton said. "What about Rye and Em?"

Bucky's shoulders fell as he sighed. "I don't know. Riley will want to fight, you know her."

"We can always hide Em with my wife if you come with us." Barton offered. "The extra kid may be difficult but I'm sure she'll understand."

"If I can't convince her to run and she wants to fight with us, fine." Bucky said. "Thank you." Clint just nodded.

"Do we have anyone else on our side?" Sam finally asked.

"There are a lot more of us than you realize." Wanda added. "I can sense it, they're just waiting for someone to deny the government first."

Sam folded his arms, he wanted all the details first. "Then what, we deny them, now what?" He asked. "Where do we go from there?"

"We help." Steve said. "We help any way we can."

"If they catch us we'll get arrested." Bucky reminded them.

"Then we just won't get caught." Steve said, receiving a smirk from Barnes. "We are here to help, that's always our motive. Those that sign will realize soon enough how limited they are by the government. Once they do, they'll join our fight."

"And if they don't?" Barton asked. "What if we are their fight?"

Steve straightened up, his back stiff and strong as he looked at the group. "We do whatever we can to protect those who need it, no matter who gets in our way." He began. "I can't guarantee things won't get messy."

"We do what we have to." Barton said. "We protect the people and the other heroes on the streets who don't want to be out but just want to help."

Bucky chimed in once more. "Again, I'm getting my family out of here. Hopefully we won't have to jump in on this crazy train." He said. "But if we do, you know where we stand."

Steve nodded. "I know, thanks Buck."

Bucky sat back and listened to the rest of the meeting. He knew he'd have to talk to Riley tonight about going on the run for a while, just until they could lay low and be forgotten about again. It would take convincing to keep her out of the fight and on Steve's team. Little did Bucky really know where Riley's thoughts lied? Until he could have a civil conversation with her, he needed to sit back and listen to this new plan. He needed an escape route if things went crazy. Steve was the answer here. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that and Riley would run. Hopefully.

* * *

 _ **And she dreams...**_

 _It started again, the same dream she had every night. The same nightmare with the dark room and bright spotlight above. Emmett Campbell was there, standing on shaking legs as he looking at his granddaughter. "We pay for our sins, RJ." He said sternly as the body count piled behind him. "We always pay for what we've done." Riley tried to move, she was glued to the spot. "You can only run for so long. They'll take away everything." His fragile frame shifted as a trail of blood began to run down his face. "We pay for our sins." He repeated as Riley screamed, desperately trying to wake up as her Granddad died before her eyes again and again._

* * *

Riley woke with a start, her body in a cold sweat as she sat up in bed. Another nightmare, another twisted dream of the truth. The room was dimly lit by the lights of the city, illuminating just enough but leaving heavy shadows in every corner. Her breathing labored as she tried to take in her surroundings. She looked to her right, noticing immediately that the other side of the bed remained undisturbed. Bucky hadn't come to bed that night. He hadn't returned since their conversation that afternoon. That was something she wasn't used to. Her memory had been wiped not too long ago, anything before that were pieces of a bigger puzzle that didn't need to fit together. She remembered what she needed to, however, one of the things she definitely remembered; Barnes was always there. Tonight, he wasn't.

Her staggered breathing became worse as her chest began to tighten. This was also something that hadn't happened in a very long time. Relapse. Her head began to pound as she forcefully removed herself from the bed, landing on the floor with a thud. Soon, she found herself gasping for air as she forced herself to her feet, clutching the nightstand tightly as her vision fogged. With force, Riley swiped the table lamp with her forearm, sending it across the room with a crash as the light bulb broke into tiny pieces.

Riley smashed her fist into the night stand, trying something, anything, to distract herself from the pain in her head. Unlike Barnes, her relapses were still out of control. However, with Bucky they were easier to manage. He wasn't here, now it was anybody's game. With a grunt of pain, Riley brought her fist down again onto the nightstand, a pop came from her fist; surely she injured herself more as she cried out. Blind rage and confusion was taking over the sharp shooter. It wasn't until the cry from the corner of the room that somewhere deep down, Riley began to realize she was in bigger trouble.

Riley turned, her attention to the crib in the corner of the room where the cry had come from. Immediately, Riley clutched her head with both hands, trying to force out the relapse. Deep down, she knew she had to regain control, her daughter was in danger. She wouldn't have much time to work out the situation, however, as a force knocked her back into the wall.

"Buck!" Another voice in the room shouted.

"Get Emily out of here!" He snarled, holding Riley against the wall as she thrashed about. The other voice began to speak again. "STEVE, NOW." Bucky shouted as Riley kicked upwards, forcing herself free from his grasp.

Bucky was quick in his next move as he grabbed Riley from the arm and threw her down with force to the ground. Riley hooked her leg, kicking the back of his knee and forcing him down with her. Riley rolled out of the way, in an attempt to get up. Bucky was faster as he grabbed her ankle with his metal hand and forced her back.

He got on top of her now, straddling her hips as he held her arms down on either side of her. She tried to move, she tried everything in her to break free. "Riley, enough!" He growled, trying to hold the red head still. "You're going to hurt yourself!" He tried again. She kept struggling, trying to wiggle out of his grasp. Bucky continued to hold her there as he tried to speak more calmly. "Red, come back to me." He said.

After a few more jerks, Riley slowly gave in to defeat. She looked up at Bucky, he knew the minute he saw the tears begin to form she was on her way to normalcy. "Ghost…" Her voice cracked. Bucky quickly got off Riley and pulled her into his arms, holding her close to his chest. "I don't know what happened…" She began to sob, her body shaking in Bucky's arms as he held her.

"I should have been here." Bucky muttered angrily, how could he have known she would relapse? She hadn't done so in so long, the one night he wasn't by her side. Something awful could have happened. Riley pulled away from his chest, just enough so he could see her face. Tears poured freely down her cheeks as she looked back at him, ashamed of what had just become of herself. "Where's Emily?" Riley asked, beginning to panic again.

"She's fine." Bucky said. "You didn't go anywhere near her."

Riley shook her head. "I almost did."

"It was an accident, Red." Bucky said, trying to soothe her as he kissed her forehead. "It's not going to happen again."

"And what if it does?" She said wiping her eyes.

He looked at her before giving a stellar smile in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Well, you're still on my hit list."

Riley narrowed her eyes, trying not to small at all. "You're not funny."

"I'm hilarious." He said, shifting Riley just enough on his lap where he could hold her closely and still look at her. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. Things are getting out of hand here. We need to go."

"We can't run." Riley said, brushing the hair that was stuck to her once sweaty forehead out of her face. "We have Emily."

He asked, somewhat amused as he looked down at the red head. "Who says we're running?"

"They're not going to let you just get up and leave." Riley said. "They want to keep you under surveillance for a while."

"And keep me away from you and Em, that's not going to happen." Bucky said, now he was playing dirty. "I think after tonight that fact was made abundantly clear."

Riley was silent at first before muttering. "That's not fair—"

"No, but, being logical is never really fair." Bucky sighed, he was frustrated with the current situation and above all… he was exhausted. "I'm not trying to be an asshole here."

"You don't really have to try for that, Barnes." Riley said, pulling out of his lap and forcing herself to stand.

"I can't protect you here." Bucky said. "You know they're not going to let me go once they have me."

"How could you possibly know that?" Riley asked, frustration in her tone as she rubbed her tired eyes. "How can you prove you're on the right side now if you won't oblige to what they're asking?"

Bucky stood up now, he really was much taller than Riley; when they fought it was definitely noticeable. "We're not an army for the government. They are super heroes in the other room, they don't need regulation. I'm not a super hero and I never claimed to be. The jurisdiction now is just angry men who want me behind bars for the crimes I committed. I'm not going to be a free man if I stay."

"You won't know that unless you—"

"Riley, if they find out about you it's going to be a lot worse." He interrupted her, frustration turning to complete anger now. "They find out what happened with Nora and your reoccurring relapses, they're going to take you too. Then what? What happens to Emily?"

Riley felt herself beginning to cry again as tears started to fall down her face. "You're such an asshole, Sergeant Barnes." She began. "If we're the monsters you claim us to be then maybe we deserve to have Emily taken from us." Bucky felt horrible now, he just wanted to comfort Riley. As he began to walk towards her, he immediately stopped when she flinched and backed away. "Just run then, Ghost. I'm staying here. If they want to question me, fine. It's better to cooperate than be the enemy again."

Bucky angrily clenched his fists. He wasn't angry at Riley, he was angry at what was becoming of them. With haste, he stormed out of their room only to be greeted by a concerned Sam, Clint and Steve. Steve held Bucky's daughter in his arms as the three of them stared at Bucky.

Bucky looked at Emily, then to Clint. "Is the offer still there?" Clint nodded. "We're leaving in the morning."

"What about Riley?" Sam asked.

"She's staying." Bucky confirmed.

Steve looked at his friend almost horrified. "You're taking Emily without her?"

"If Riley relapses again, Emily isn't safe. I won't be there to protect her."

"Wait, Riley still has relapses?" Barton asked with concern.

Bucky nodded once. "Every now and again, it's not a risk I'm willing to take if I'm not around."

Sam shook his head. "As horrible as this is, it makes sense."

"Are you all sure you're ready for this?" Clint asked. "If we walk out tomorrow without signing and with Barnes…"

Steve nodded. "We're here for the people, we are fighting for the little guy." He looked at his friend. "Where will you go?"

"I'm coming with you." Bucky said. "They have no control over me or what's right and wrong. They want proof I'm a good guy, well, here you go."

Steve looked at the group. "We leave at the signing then." Silence came over the group as Bucky took his daughter in his good arm. Things were going to be hell tomorrow, he was ready. He had to be. The Winter Soldier had to be.

* * *

 **Final Thought:** Thanks for reading, please remember to review!


	8. Balance In Tragedy

**A/N:** Hi y'all! Thank you guys for reviewing and following this story! I just want to give you guys a heads up… There will be a lot of PTSD type things happening so… I suppose triggers. Also, flashbacks! So don't get confused if you see anything that seems out of place, it's a flashback and it'll have a bold label to tell you how long ago it is so… eyes peeled, people!

Anyway, my favorite part!

Reviewers:

Like it Random: Yeah, it was predictable buuuuuuuuut now things are going to get even crazier for our characters! Especially now that the baby is in the middle. Thanks for reviewing!

Guest: Thaaaaaank you!

MulishaMaiden: Bwahahaha and I can promise you there will be more tension! Sorry….! Thank you!

SarahMichelleGellarFan1: Thank you!

Lynnspid5: Only time will tell what's in store for our heroes! Thank you for reviewing!

Guys, remember to review! That's how chapters come out a lot faster, the more people review the more I know people want to keep reading!

You know the drill!

 **Read, Review, and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing! Except for Riley and Emily and… other random characters not owned by Marvel!

* * *

Riley's head was pounding due to lack of sleep from the night before. She couldn't sleep, she was afraid. Fear, something she learned to never show on the outside. Yet, anyone that would have walked into her room right now would have seen it as she sat on the bed with her knees to her chest. He was gone, he hadn't come back. They took Emily from the room, she was dangerous around her daughter right now. Riley knew that and it was slowly killing her.

She watched the sun begin to rise, reflecting from building to building as the light slowly began to fill the bedroom. She rubbed her tired eyes, not knowing there were dark purple bags beginning to form from her lack of sleep. She didn't care. She honestly didn't. Riley just wanted her daughter and boyfriend back in the room. She wanted things to be normal; although she understood… normal was not something that came easy, not since Nora.

The knock on the door made her jump slightly, she wasn't expecting anyone at this hour. He quietly opened the door and walked in. The door barely clicking shut behind him as he looked at her. He saw her, he saw everything beginning to crumble on the bed before him. She wasn't doing well, he had known that. Worst of all, he had tried to _hide_ that. It was partially his fault and he knew it. "Red." Bucky said, his voice straining from having just woken up. He had slept on the floor in Steve's room that night, if you could even call it sleep. Emily had slept on his chest, peacefully dreaming and unaware. An ignorance he would kill for. "We have to leave now. Are you coming?"

"What is running away going to do, Ghost?" Her voice cracked.

"Staying here won't help either." He said with a sigh, running his hand through his hair. "I can't keep you safe here, we have to go."

"And become the bad guys?" Riley commented somewhat bitterly. "I won't be the bad guy again." She was referencing a time that seemed so long ago but really wasn't. "You're not a bad guy either. We can't let them think we are."

"And until they figure out a better way, I can't stay here. We can't stay here." Riley didn't say anything, she couldn't. She was exhausted. "We're leaving. Please just—" He groaned in frustration, clenching his fists. "Stay safe, Red." He loved her, he unquestioningly loved her. However, they were both stubborn. He was convinced his decision was the correct one, and now he was putting all his faith that Riley would be okay until things calmed down. Who knew how long that would take? He also knew he couldn't leave Emily with her, she wasn't stable. As much as he hated to admit it, she wasn't. She had never been, the lingering possibility of relapse had always been there. Now, he had to run and protect Emily. He had to do that for himself and he had to do that for Riley. He knew she'd understand someday. Until then, he'd feel his whole being break in two as he left her behind. Without another word, James Buchannan Barnes left his world behind and she let him.

For a few moments, Riley sat in absolute silence. The light _hum_ from the central air was the only noise as Riley became more aware. Her body suddenly stiffened as her mind began to process what Bucky had actually said. ' _We'_ was stuck in her head. What exactly did he mean by ' _we'_? Her heart began to beat faster and faster in her chest as it suddenly and horrifically began to make sense to her. "Emily…" She mumbled, her eyes opening wide in realization. With haste, Riley reached over to the nightstand and opened the drawer for her handgun. She was out of bed in seconds as she raced out of the room, her vision blurring as she ran to the elevator and up to the Observation Deck.

* * *

"Someone's up early." Stark quipped into his morning coffee as he stood by the bar. His sarcastic expression suddenly falling when he noticed Riley holding a gun as she frantically looked around. "Deadshot?"

"Where's Barnes?" She asked, her jaw clenched as she tried to keep from shaking.

Tony shrugged. "Haven't seen him since yesterday." He said, concern taking over. "What happened?"

Riley exhaled, her shoulders tensing even more. "He's leaving." She said in a panic. "He's leaving and I need to find Emily."

Tony realized then exactly what was happening. They were leaving, anyone against the Act were leaving. "Son of a—" He grumbled, putting down his coffee mug.

It was then a somewhat grumpy Natasha Romanoff wandered onto the Observation Deck. She had passed a very edgy group of Supers wandering the halls downstairs, not saying a word. She said nothing, she had a very good idea where they were heading. Especially with Barnes and Emily wandering. It was something she had seen every morning, a way for Barnes to get Emily to fall back asleep. Then she saw Riley, things weren't adding up. "What's going on?" Natasha asked, slowly reaching for her own side arm as Riley clutched hers tighter.

"I need to find Emily." Riley replied in a panic.

Natasha looked confused as her next words slipped. "I saw her with Barnes."

"Where did they go?" Riley shouted, her body in complete panic mode.

Natasha's hand gently brushed over her side arm. "I don't know, Rye. They were heading towards the elevators, I assumed they were heading up here."

"FRIDAY." Stark said aloud to the new program. "Locate Sergeant Barnes and Captain Rogers."

"Certainly, Mr. Stark." The female voice said to the room. "Sergeant Barnes and Captain Rogers are currently located in the parking garage. Shall I call them, sir?"

"Not necessary." Stark mumbled as he watched Riley race into the elevator. He looked at Natasha. "She's going to kill him."

"I know." Natasha said rushing to the doorway to the stairwell. She had to keep Riley from making a very bad decision. Hopefully, by the time she reached the parking garage, it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Bucky cautiously handed Emily to Wanda, a faint smile on his lips as he looked at his daughter before losing it completely to look at Wanda. "We're taking her somewhere safe, right?" She asked, receiving a curt nod from Barnes.

"Arrangements were made." Clint confirmed as he finished packing one of the cars. Pietro had joined them, although he hadn't attended the meeting about their latest plan; he wasn't about to let his sister go off alone. "Speedy, you're in my car." Clint said with a smirk. "I suggest you behave though, Barnes isn't in the mood for you."

Before Pietro could protest with a snide remark, Steve spoke up. "Sam and I are going to head out now, we'll see you at the meeting place." Steve walked over to Bucky, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. "You're all right?"

Bucky shrugged. "As all right as anyone could be." He looked at Sam. "You guys should get going, we'll meet you there."

Steve nodded, walking over to Sam and getting in the car. The two leaving quickly before their window of opportunity grew smaller. Clint pointed to his car. "Everybody in." He said. Pietro sped by and was now inside the car's passenger seat. "Guess he called shotgun." Clint rolled his eyes as he headed to the driver door.

Bucky loaded the last bag into the trunk, closing it and turning to look at Wanda. Her eyes were wide, her body stiff. "What is it?" He asked, moving closer to Wanda.

"I can feel pain." Wanda barely whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "She's coming down here."

"Get in the car." Bucky said through gritted teeth as he looked at Clint. Clint immediately understood and quickly got in the car and started it. As Bucky turned, he heard the first shot ring out. Missed, he knew it was a warning shot. She wouldn't miss the second time. He grabbed his own handgun and fired back, Riley dodged behind a pillar as Wanda safely made it into the car with Emily. Riley knew she could make safe shots and miss Wanda and Emily entirely. However, everyone else was collateral at this point. She didn't care, she was a desperate mother wanting her daughter back. Anyone else didn't matter.

Clint backed out of the space, Bucky fired a few more shots to keep Riley from firing back. He backed up and turned, racing into the back seat and slamming the door. "DRIVE." He demanded, his six month old daughter now crying from the commotion.

Wanda, in her quick thinking, placed a force field around the car just as a bullet came speeding towards them. The bullet bounced off the force field and into the windshield of another car. Riley stood there, emptying out her loaded pistol into the back of the car, knowing none of the bullets would hit. However, rage is quite the blinding factor as she watched the car speed out of sight.

"Rye." She heard from behind her. Riley turned, gun raised and pointed at the concerned Natasha Romanoff. In that moment, she didn't care about keeping her composure. Riley broke down and collapsed to her knees, sobbing. Natasha was by her side instantly, holding her close as Riley lost it altogether.

* * *

General Ross arrived on time, he was never late or early. He was a military man, a man with priorities and a particular man at that. He stood in the Observatory Deck of the Avengers Tower, staring out the large window that overlooked the city. "Rogers left." He wasn't really asking.

"Along with a few others." Stark confirmed, finishing his cup of coffee from earlier.

"Barnes with him?" He didn't really need the confirmation. "They are fugitives, all of them. Helping a war criminal escape. I expect it to be handled carefully when the time comes."

Stark's brows furrowed into a frown. "You expect us to fight them?"

"I expect all radicals to be dealt with accordingly. They broke the law, Stark. We can't have that." Stark took the last sip of his coffee, he knew this was going happen. That didn't mean he had to like it. "As for everyone else, I expect them here in one hour to sign."

"I'll have FRIDAY send out the memo." Stark mumbled, walking away from Ross and to his lab. There, he was greeted by an eager Reed Richards.

"Today's the day." Reed said in passing.

Stark made a popping noise with his mouth before replying. "And like I suspected, Rogers and a small group left."

Reed gave him a pointed look. "For certain?"

"They're helping Barnes escape on top of it." Stark said in passing, trying not to think too much into it.

Reed pursed his lips as he stretched his arm impossibly far to grab a pen from the other lab table. "Now what?"

"Now what?" Stark repeated incredulously. "They're fugitives. If we see them, we take them in."

Reed shook his head. "Shame, really. Especially for that innocent baby."

Stark rolled his eyes. "That's the other fun news. Terminator took the baby, Deadshot is still here. She's on our side."

Reed nearly fell over. "And how is Ms. Campbell dealing with that?"

Stark shrugged. "Last I saw her she was running to the garage with a gun. I assume she didn't kill anyone, otherwise we would have heard about it."

"She's going to want to hunt down Barnes."

"Well, now that we're regulated, she can't. However, Ross wants Barnes back so we need to keep her from killing him until then." Stark said, losing interesting. "Let's just hope after the whole memory wiped thing, she's not as good at tracking anymore."

Reed peaked interest. "Memory wiped?"

Stark bit his lip as he changed the subject. "Let's just focus on the task at hand. Ross wants everyone to sign in one hour. Make sure you have a working pen." He said sarcastically as Reed clicked his newly found pen.

* * *

It took a while for Natasha to get Riley back on her feet and out of the parking garage. Riley had calmed down enough due to pure exhaustion but Natasha knew better. Anything could set Riley off, she had to be cautious. Which is why she took Riley to her own room and not the one with the baby crib. That would have been disastrous. She sat Riley down on the bed, Riley still shaking slightly; her eyes bloodshot from crying. "I have to go after him." She could barely speak.

"No, you need to think the situation through first." Natasha said. "You know he's not going to hurt Emily."

"He took her from me." Riley argued, feeling herself begin to cry again. "How could he just take our daughter?"

"We'll get her back." Natasha said. "I promise you we will. For now, we have to worry about other things. Barnes, Rogers, Barton… they're all fugitives now. We're expected to sign the Registration Act. We need to do this the smart way, Rye." She pursed her lips. "If they see anything suspicious coming from you, something bad might happen."

Riley looked at her. "What do you mean, suspicious?"

"I'm not stupid, Rye." Natasha said. "I know what will happen if anyone finds out about Nora and what happened and what's still happening with you."

"Nothing is happening." Riley spat.

Natasha crouched down before the trembling red head. "The nightmares, the reoccurring relapses. I've seen Fury's reports. Rye, they can't find out about that. They won't let you out of here if they know you're unstable."

"I'm not unstable." Riley bit her lip, realizing she wasn't fooling Natasha. "What do I have to do?"

"You need to stay focused, otherwise, you're not going anywhere to find Emily. You'll be considered a threat if you go after Barnes without permission. They want him just as bad as you do, just do it on their terms."

"I'm expected not to act or react in any way while he has Emily?"

Natasha nodded. "Otherwise, you may not get a chance to find Emily." Riley silently agreed, she understood. She knew Natasha was right. Natasha pulled her in for another hug, she felt herself beginning to cry again. "Hang in there, Rye. If not for yourself but, for Emily."

She would. She would keep herself together for Emily. That's all that mattered now, getting Emily back.

* * *

 ** _Brazil… 1.5 Years Earlier…_**

Riley stared at the ceiling of the small safe house. It was an unbelievably hot day and she felt like she was melting to the couch. She blinked slowly, her eyes focusing on a small crack in the ceiling that she could have sworn wasn't there the day before. Then again, it could have been. What did she know anymore? She felt like she was losing her mind; slowly and intimately. She was falling apart and cracking at the seams. It had been a little over two months since she came here with the metal armed assassin and she felt like she hadn't been making any progress what-so-ever. Riley didn't remember him, at least, she didn't remember him to the extent he would have liked. Anytime she did try, she found herself relapsing. That was another problem, the very violent relapses whenever she tried too hard to remember.

With an exasperated sigh, Riley sank down further into the couch. The only other sound was the wind from the very fast circulating fan to the left of that annoying crack she began to hate the more she stared at it. Luckily, the distraction came when the front door opened and the sound of the all too familiar heavy boots on the wood floor. He was otherwise quiet, he always was. It was programmed in his mind to be and old habits really did die hard. The light tap of his boots had stopped right behind the couch she was sitting on. He leaned over the back and stared down at her curiously, a brow raised as he watched her. "What are you looking at?"

"The crack in the ceiling." Riley admitted, looking almost passed the soldier and to the crack again. Bucky made a face as he looked up to see the crack for himself. "Pretty sure it's new."

"Possibly from somebody throwing a shoe at the ceiling." Bucky deduced teasingly as he looked back down at Riley who was now blushing.

She had almost forgot about throwing shoes last night at him. Almost. "Didn't think I threw it _that_ hard."

"You have the strength of the Hulk, apparently."

Riley now had a perplexed look. "Hulk?" She asked, pursing her lips. "I know that name."

Bucky tensed slightly, knowing full well what happened when Riley tried to remember. "You do." He said.

Riley blinked a few times before looking back at the crack. "I'm sorry, I'm trying."

"I know." He said softly. "Don't strain yourself. It'll happen eventually."

"It's frustrating." She admitted. Riley scrunched her nose, changing the subject. "It's also really hot today, why did you decide Brazil was a good idea?"

Bucky smirked. "You did, actually."

"That was a terrible idea on my part." She grumbled, looking away from the crack and sitting up.

"It's cooler outside." Bucky said, cautiously making a suggestion. "We could go for a walk?" He knew it was a long shot, Riley didn't exactly want to leave the safe house. She was holding back on it; fear kept her from a lot of things lately.

Riley thought about it for a moment before finally standing. "I'd like that, actually." Stunned in her reply, it didn't even register until she wandered to the door. "Well?"

Bucky shook his head, replacing his shock with a smile as he followed her to the door. "I'll take you down to the river, it's really nice over there." With hesitation and knots forming in her stomach, Riley agreed and walked silently side by side with Bucky down to the river.

It took nearly twenty minutes to get down to the river, Bucky making small talk with Riley as they went. Nothing really came of it until they did reach the river. The water rushing was calming at first, however, the more Riley stared at it the more she began to feel something. "It's nice, right?" Bucky asked, watching Riley cautiously as he noticed her expression changing. "The river is also a little cold, otherwise I'd say 'jump in'."

Riley bit her lip. "I've been in colder." She said almost robotically. It seemed to come out of nowhere as she continued to stare at the river intensely.

Bucky gently put his good hand on her back. "We can go back if you want."

Riley shook her head. "I jumped into a river—" She continued to remember. A sensation of pain shot through her body as she remembered the freezing cold water, like razors under her skin. An image flashed in her mind, one that she wasn't expecting. She could see herself looking up from the rushing water, the cold taking over her body, and the masked man watching her get away. "You tried to kill me once, right?" Riley asked, her eyes shut tightly as her body stiffed. He didn't really know how to answer that. Bucky was unsure if the answer would be comforting or completely blow up in his face. However, his lack of answer was all she needed. Her lips tugged into a small smile, her eyes still clinched shut due to the pressure in her head. "I bested the Winter Soldier." She mumbled.

He couldn't help but scoff. "Barely."

The tension in her head began to subside, her eyes blinking open as she looked at him, the smile still there. "But I still _did._ " She added.

He reciprocated the smile as he rolled his eyes playfully. "Of course that would be one of the first things you'd remember."

"And, no relapse." She said almost bragging.

"Yeah." He agreed, pulling her close for a side hug. "See, it's not permanent."

"I think It's just too hot for me to relapse and kill you right now." She joked, feeling Bucky's chest spasm from laughter. For the first time since this new adventure began, Bucky felt just a little more hopeful about their situation.

* * *

 **Final Thought:** Remember to review! Thank you for reading and see you next time!


	9. Friction

**A/N:** Hi all! Sorry for the delay! Another reminder that this will be kind-of sad BUT, fear not dear readers, this opens up our Civil War party so I hope you're already ready for it! I'm not ready for it…. Ahhh!

Anyway, please remember to review. Reviews are what keep me going. I wonder if we can get up to **10** reviews this chapter? Hmmm, I leave that in your hands, readers!

Speaking of reviews…

 **Reviewers:**

Sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thank you!

Lynnspid5: Gotta have a bargaining chip in there somewhere! Let's see where the baby fiasco takes them!

Like it Random: Right? Maybe she **_will_** kill him?! Who knows?!... well, I guess I do.

Mzfeebs: All the drama and all the feels! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

And one last friendly reminder, the italics in a flashback to Brazil!

You know the drill!

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** It's the second story and if there's any question on this whole 'owning Marvel' or 'making a profit on this' then… we have a problem haha.

* * *

 **Brazil… 1.5 Years Earlier…**

 _He sat on the floor outside the bedroom with his back against the door. He was finally able to jam the door shut; now she was stuck in there screaming and cursing at him. Another painful relapse; another violent outburst. He was pretty certain a bruise would have formed on his cheek if his body wasn't so durable. She got him good. He'd never admit that to anyone, especially her._

 _Bucky knew she'd tire herself out soon, she always did. Then the realization would kick in, then the crying and self-loathing. He'd seen it all, he'd been there before. Now he was watching it happen to the woman that made him feel safe. She kicked the door causing it to jerk which snapped Bucky Barnes out of his thought. "Come on, Red." He said sternly. "You're better than this." He was tired, worn out and beaten. He was losing steam and faith that this could even work anymore. She was stuck, or rather, that's how it felt to Barnes. She was stuck in her relapses and wasn't progressing forward. He was running out of options and soon another meeting with Fury would be happening soon. How could he admit that things weren't getting any better?_

 _A few more thuds came from behind the door, followed by shrieks and threats before it all became too quiet. He sat for a moment, listening. He heard nothing but silence from the other side of the door. Cautiously, Bucky stood up and put his hand on the door knob. "Red?" He called out to her. Nothing. "Red, are you okay?" Still he was answered with silence. Finally, Bucky twisted the door knob with force and opened the door. She had to have calmed down by now, right?_

 _He stared into the dark room, she wasn't at the doorway anymore. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure to the right of the frame. Before he could slam the door shut, she slammed her elbow down on his good hand and kicked the door open completely. Forcing her way out of the bedroom, she was now making a break for the nearest exit._

 _Bucky was faster, he was always faster. He grabbed her shoulder and forced her down to the ground where he sat on top of her hips to keep her still. She screamed and yelled and thrashed about. Just another night for James Buchannan Barnes and Riley Jane Campbell. "Come on, Red!" He tried again, his voice harsh as he held her arms down. "Focus on something, anything!" He pleaded._

 _She struggled a few more times before the pain finally subsided. The tension in her body eased up as tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked confused, like a deer caught in headlights. She didn't know what to do now. She looked back at him unable to speak. He knew she was not going to attack him anymore, she was coming down. He cautiously got off her and pulled her onto his lap. His arms held her close to his chest as she broke down into sobs. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She kept repeating over and over again as she clung to his now tear stained shirt._

 _"It's okay. I'm here." He cooed, holding her close to his chest as he rocked gently back and forth. "I'm not going anywhere." Bucky held the damaged girl in his arms as she cried harder. "I promise I'm not going anywhere. Ever." He meant it then. He meant it with his entire being. He would see this through and above all he'd save Riley the way she had saved him so many times before._

* * *

 **Present Day…**

The light was fading from the sky leaving red and pink tints on the horizon and fading upwards into the dark blue of night. It was almost too calming after all that had happened. After all he had done. The house in the distance adding to the serene scene as the car slowly pulled up to the front of the house. He held his sleeping baby girl in his good arm, the car filled with silence as they park besides the other familiar, but empty, car.

Clint was the first to get out of the car, practically racing inside and passed the two guests that had wandered out on the porch. He wanted nothing more than to see his family, especially after the day he had.

Bucky almost didn't get out of the car. If it wasn't for Wanda opened the door and offering her assistance with the baby. "I can take her." She said softly. Hesitantly, Bucky nodded and handed his daughter to the girl. His body tensing slightly as the small weight left his arm and into another's. When he did exit the car, the dreaded confrontation with Steve was already happening.

"Everything okay?" Steve asked, although he had a strong feeling it wasn't. "We began to worry when Clint's car wasn't following us."

"Not now, Steve." Barnes said in a warning tone. "Just not now." He stormed after Wanda, following her into the house and to keep close proximity to his daughter.

Steve looked at the car, Pietro was already in the trunk and pulling out his duffle bag. "She shot at us." He admitted in somewhat passing. A quick nod to the bumper would prove his story as Rogers noted two bullet holes. "He fought back." Pietro began to walk nonchalantly passed Rogers. "One thing I've learned during the earlier years, the early wars in Sokovia." He said. "Never take a child from a mother." Steve watched in silence as Pietro seemingly disappeared almost immediately after his last syllable hung in the air. He was now alone as the world darkened around him, feeling worse than before for his friend's well-being.

* * *

Laura's smile was comforting to Barnes as she took Emily from Wanda, cradling the still sleeping child lovingly. "She has Riley's hair." She commented, looking up to see Clint make a face. "Is Riley okay?" Laura asked, her eyes going wide as she looked at the group.

"She didn't come with us." Barton mentioned quickly, hoping to end the conversation. A notion that would lead to a long conversation in private later.

Laura cleared her throat, looking back at Bucky with a reassuring smile. "She will be fine. As you can see, I have some experience with kids." She said with a small laugh. Bucky wasn't in a laughing mood as he wandered back outside and onto the porch. He needed time to think and he needed time to forget. Something he never thought he'd ever wish for.

Laura looked at Clint. "You have a lot more explaining to do."

Clint sighed, rubbing his temples as his shoulders fell. "A lot happened in the past twenty-four hours."

"Clearly." She said, her expression turning sympathetic. "What's your next move?"

"Waiting on the Captain." Barton said. "Right now, he's got his work cut out for him trying to convince Barnes to stay."

"He wasn't going to stay with you?" Laura asked.

Clint shook his head. "He planned on running to get off the radar. I'll explain more later." Laura accepted the quick synopsis for now, knowing her husband had a lot to share with her later.

"Let me put Emily in the crib." She said. "Thankfully we kept Nathanial's old one. Tell everyone to make themselves at home. Dinner will be ready in a little bit."

"You're an angel." Barton said.

"I know." She smiled sweetly before wandering off upstairs.

* * *

Riley slowly opened her eyes; her vision adjusting to the world as she stared at the plain white wall in front of her. Stark offered her a sleeping solution, basically a 'tranquilizer that could knock out an elephant' or so he told her. It was a nice change, a dark and dreamless sleep. Something she'd kill for again.

It didn't seem real. None of it had. But it happened and now she was lost. He was gone; he had promised her he'd never leave once. Now, he was gone and he took Emily. He took the one thing that made her feel balanced again. Riley hadn't felt this way since she got her memories back. This was something she never wanted to feel ever again.

She signed the Act. Of course she did. What choice was there in the end? Natasha was right, she had to get Emily back and this was the smartest way to do it. Otherwise, she'd gladly go rogue in a heartbeat.

She faked her way through the signing, through all the photographs of the event, through the press, all of it. Some even called her brave for being there after losing her child to the Winter Soldier. Only two people really saw through the façade; Natasha and Tony. Both hiding what they knew about the red head for her sake. Neither one knowing exactly how deep it really went in the end. A rabbit hole no one was prepared to fall down.

Riley forced herself out of bed, she had training with Natasha today. Silently and almost robotically, Riley put on her training outfit and headed out of her room. To her surprise, she was met in the hallway by a grouchy looking man with his leather jacket on and a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. "You're up earlier than expected." He snorted, walking by the red head.

"Where are you going, Logan?" She asked, her voice cracking slightly from having just woken up. "I didn't think you were still here."

"This isn't my fight, kid." He said. "I'm needed somewhere else." Riley nodded, he was right. The Mutants had their own fight to win. "I don't think this is your fight either." He began. "You should rethink where you stand in all this and get out while you can."

Stubbornly, Riley replied. "I'm not going anywhere."

His lips folded upwards, something Riley didn't think he was capable of… smiling. "Be careful, kid." He left without another word, leaving Riley with his last words that resounded with her before she took her leave to the training room.

* * *

"Again." Riley breathed out, her insides screaming after she landed with a thud on the mat.

Natasha was hardly out of breath as she walked over to her starting position. "You sure you don't want to rest?"

She shook her head, forcing herself to her feet and stretching quickly. "I need to get better at this."

"You've already proven yourself." Natasha tried to compliment her.

"Not good enough." She said, bouncing from one foot to the other as she raised her arms. "If I can't take you out, I don't have a chance with him."

Natasha warned her. "If you end up hurting yourself you'll lose your opportunity to fight him at all." She saw that Riley wasn't backing down, she wanted a fight. She **_needed_** the fight. "Last time and then we're taking a break." Riley nodded, taking a second to regain her composure before charging at the assassin.

Her first punch was countered with a block, giving Riley the opportunity to throw her elbow down onto Natasha's arm, breaking her counter. With another upper cut, she went for Natasha's chin. Natasha backed up just enough to give her room. Riley was giving her all, she wanted a fight and she was definitely giving it. Natasha grabbed Riley's arm, twisting it behind her back as she tried to incapacitate the red head. Riley swooped her leg back, hooking Natasha's knee and forcing her forward. She rolled, giving her the advantage of getting on top. Natasha, however, was a pro at this attack and was able to lock her own legs around Riley's and forcing her into a hold. "Tap out, Rye." She said through clenched teeth as Riley clawed at her arm. "Tap out!" She said again.

Reluctantly, Riley tapped the mat. Natasha was off her instantly and on her feet; offering a hand to help Riley up. Riley didn't take it as she stood up on her own, wiping sweat from her forehead. For the first time, Natasha was actually worried. In that instance, the expression Riley had on her face; pure hatred. A hate that was directed towards Barnes, the situation they were in and more importantly, hatred for herself in getting to this situation. Natasha saw it, she knew what was happening. Riley was slowly peeling and unraveling like chipping paint on a hot day. She had an idea, she needed to get those reports from Fury. Something wasn't adding up.

"Get some rest, Rye." Natasha said with bare minimum emotion as she headed out of the training room. In that moment, Riley felt her trigger finger begin to twitch. She needed to let out some steam, and fast.

* * *

Bucky sat on the porch of the Barton's secret home; the wooden Adirondack chair he had found really was one of the most comfortable things he had ever sat on. It helped, but only slightly, in clearing his troubled mind over the recent events. What had he done? What had he done to Riley, to their situation, to everything? It was eating him up and slowly.

Bucky Barnes wasn't exactly a gambling man, but if he were, he would have bet money on the person who had wandered onto the deck. He knew who it was, he didn't have to look. "Mind if I sit?" He asked, pointing to the chair next to the Winter Soldier. Bucky didn't say anything, he just waited. He knew Steve would sit regardless of what he wanted. And he did. "What you did today was hard. You have every right to be upset."

"You didn't see her, Steve." The image played through his mind over and over again. The rage and hurt in her eyes; the pain. He could almost feel it when he looked at her. "She's tried to kill me too many times to count. This time was different, it was personal. It was hatred."

Steve waited a beat before replying. "You knew the cost, Buck. You did what you thought was right for Emily."

"It's more than that, Steve." Bucky said, letting out a deep sigh. "I helped make her this way." Steve looked at Bucky, unsure of how to take his revelation. "When Fury asked for the reports on Riley, I almost gave up. One day, she suddenly remembered everything. I was so happy I didn't take into account the weight she was still carrying. She remembered **_everything_**. She remembered killing Emmett, and she couldn't let that go. I was selfish, instead of getting her the help she needed… I told Fury she was all right. I didn't want them to take her away from me."

"Buck—" Steve tried, unable to find words.

"I could have gotten her professional help, send her back to headquarters for in-depth psychological analysis." He deflated. "I wanted to be the one to help her, like she helped me. And she was doing well. She was improving but, I wasn't enough to help her. I wanted to be, I desperately wanted to be." He finally looked at Steve. "I finally got her back, how could I let her go?"

"If she knows she's unstable—" Steve began. "Why wouldn't she come with us?"

Bucky shrugged. "It's all part of it. She doesn't want to be the _bad guy_. After killing Emmett, that's all she associates herself as. The bad guy." He paused. "Some days were better than others. Some days, she was my Riley again. Killing Emmett, even though it wasn't her fault, destroyed her. I was too selfish to realize that. Maybe I am the bad guy in the end."

Steve waited a breath. "So what are you going to do? Run?" He didn't give Bucky a chance to decide. "Maybe you need to prove to Riley that being here doesn't make you a bad guy. Maybe staying and fighting will change her mind. I won't tell you what to do but, running doesn't seem like the best option here." Bucky ran his good hand through his hair. "Stay with us, I know we can help change Riley's mind. Once she comes with us, we can help her."

Steve's words resonated in his head as he let them sink in before a coy smirk took over his lips. "Let's hope she doesn't kill me first." He joked, grimly.

Steve frowned. "Not funny." Only to receive a small chuckle from his best friend. "Think about it, Buck. I'm serious. We're leaving tomorrow to meet with a few others who declined to sign. It would be nice to have you around."

Before Bucky could respond, the front door opened and closed with a loud thud. A concerned, white haired punk stood before them. "I think you two need to see this." Pietro said, pointing to the door before dashing away back inside. Bucky looked at Steve, the two sat perplexed before standing and rushing into the house.

Everyone stood around the television, a news broadcast was on the screen with a scrolling text stating something about a _'high death toll'_. The broadcast showed a video of a man hopping from the back of a truck in black armor, white paint splattered on the front. "What's going on?" Steve asked, looking at the group.

"Terrorist attack in Wakanda." Sam said. "His name is Crossbones. He's calling you out, Steve."

Steve turned his attention to the screen as the video played, the man in the video asking for a fight with Captain America and threatening civilian casualties. "Well, team." Steve said. "Looks like we need to leave sooner than we thought. We'll head to the rendezvous with the others and take it from there. People are dying because of me."

The group were quick on their feet, preparing for their departure as Steve looked at Bucky apologetically. Not even five minutes earlier he told his friend there would be more time to decide. Now, he had to take back his promise. Bucky saw right through that before inhaling. "I'm coming."

"Are you sure?" Steve asked. "If this turns out to be big, I can't guarantee Stark and all of them will be crashing the party." If Stark showed up, chances were Riley would manage to force her way onto the jet. She wouldn't miss an opportunity like that.

"I'm counting on it." Barnes replied darkly. He was going to make things right even if it killed him. He was going to do what he should have done a year and a half ago; he was going to save Riley.

* * *

 **Final Thought:** Thank you again! Let's try to get 10 reviews on this chapter!


	10. A New Player In This War

**Author's Note:** Hey all, sorry for the late update and this now short chapter. I had a lot of school work to finish and it's just been a nightmare. Also, not even sure if anyone is still reading this story. I may stop this story, which stinks, but I really don't think anyone is reading. No one reviews but I've also noticed that with other stories from other authors as well. It's just weird that stories can have so many favorites and follows and little to no reviews. It's just disheartening to an author. Maybe I'm the only one who feels that way? I don't know.

Anyway, let me know if I should continue this or not. I'm introducing a new character here so hopefully that will get the story flowing. If not, then this may be the last chapter.

Thank you to those who have been consistently reviewing. Your support is always greatly appreciated and I'm sorry if I have to end this story.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing except for my OC's and that's really it!

* * *

If there was one thing Tony Stark hated, it was meetings. Meetings were the worst. Especially with Government officials. The billionaire had better things to do than waste his time listening to war-hungry officials talk. However, General Ross made a point that Stark needed to be at this meeting. He had an idea why; people watched the news. Well, not Tony Stark; he wasn't a fan of reporters or depressing stories. He had FRIDAY, and FRIDAY alerted him to any wrong doings in the world. However, he hoped one Riley J. Campbell was also not a fan of the news and still in the building.

To his surprise, the meeting only consisted of General Ross, Reed Richards, and an unfamiliar face. A younger and well-dressed man with a smile that was neither comforting nor welcoming. No, it held a dirty secret. ' _Who's the new suit?'_ Thought Stark as he sat down in the conference room of the Avengers Tower.

"Thank you for finally joining us, Mr. Stark." General Ross said, raising a disapproving eyebrow. His face always seemed to be plastered with disapproval. "Gentleman, this is Commanding Officer Bryan Atkin. He will be overseeing our plan of attack, should we need one."

"Are we planning on attacking anyone anytime soon?" Stark asked as he folded his arms across his chest.

As Ross began to glare even harder at the sarcastic playboy, Bryan Atkin's smile widened; his hands held up to show good faith. "No harm, General. I've dealt with my fair share of insubordination." He straightened his suit jacket, his smile not faltering. "I'm sure you are both aware of the attack on Wakanda last night. The terrorist goes by the alias of 'Crossbones' and he seems more interested in calling out Captain Rogers more than anything. I think this is our opportunity to bring the rogue Supers in and also arrest Sergeant Barnes."

"I thought we couldn't arrest Rogers without justifiable cause? Has he acted out and gone against the terms of the ACT?" Reed asked diplomatically.

"No, however, if he _does_ head out there we will need to act accordingly." Officer Atkin said. "He cannot act out on this matter. It's out of our jurisdiction as is. We can't let anyone engage the terrorist group without going through the UN first."

Stark wrinkled his nose, he disagreed. "I thought, with permission and regulation, we would be able to act on such matters."

"Not exactly." Ross spoke up now. "We need clearance from the Wakanda government as well as the rest of the UN before acting on this terrorism. Rogers is fair game."

"So you expect us to send a group to Wakanda to see if Rogers shows up and take anyone that engages this 'Crossbones' into custody?" Reed tried to clarify.

"Precisely." Bryan said, Stark really was disliking this man. "I've assembled a team for you." He said, sliding a folder in front of Stark. A beat passed before Stark opened the file and examined the report. The usual suspects, Romanoff, Rhodey, Vision, himself and… Riley? He made a face that Bryan saw instantly. "Something wrong, Mr. Stark?"

"Interesting team. Any reason for picking Deadshot?" Everyone gave him a confused look as Stark rolled his eyes. "Agent Campbell." He reluctantly corrected himself.

Office Bryan Atkin's smile grew impossibly wide as he shifted in his seat. "Her track record is impressive. Helped take down HYDRA and helped rehabilitate Sergeant Barnes. Her skills with firearms is also beyond belief. Is there a problem, Mr. Stark?"

Before Tony could protest, Reed spoke up, unknowingly adding fuel to the fire. "She has a child with Sergeant Barnes. We fear she may be compromised due to that, especially after recent events with Barnes taking the child from her."

"Agent Campbell and Sergeant Barnes have a child together?" Bryan seemed a little too interested in that detail for Tony's liking.

"She's not compromised." Stark sighed. "She's fine, she's capable of helping out. Can't guarantee Barnes won't get shot though."

"See to it that Sergeant Barnes makes it back **_alive_**." Ross said. "We may rethink Agent Campbell's position on the team."

Office Atkin shook his head. "Not necessary. I believe she will be an important asset. Let's see how she does on the field and we can decide from there."

Although unhappy, Stark knew he dodged a bullet here. He kept Riley's failing mental state hidden. However, now he knew he'd have to watch her on their mission to Wakanda. "When do we leave?"

"In three hours." Ross said gruffly. "Assemble your team. When you return we will be relocating to the base Upstate."

Stark nodded as he quickly stood from his chair, Reed took a little more care and time when standing up. "It was a pleasure to meet you, gentleman." Officer Bryan said, his smile hadn't left the entire meeting.

Stark said nothing as he left the room and headed for his lab. "FRIDAY." He said out loud once he was in the privacy of the elevator.

"Yes, Mr. Stark?" The female computer replied.

"Find out everything you can on Commanding Officer Bryan Atkin." He said.

"Right away, sir." FRIDAY replied as the elevator began to rise.

* * *

One shot after another, bulls eye after bulls eye. Riley didn't miss; that was never the question. The bullets left the chamber with a flash of light at the end of gun, followed by the _pop_. Her finger clicking fast with the trigger, rapidly firing over and over again at the target at the end of the range in Avengers Tower. The sheet of paper barely recognizable as one last shot echoed in the room, the paper ripping completely from the middle and half falling to the floor. She stood there a moment longer, watching her handy work as smoke came from the end of the handgun. Although it didn't take away the pain she was feeling, it was a necessary distraction. Emmett had taught her that once. "Focus and you can get anything done" he had told her. Well, she was focused. Focused and in her own little world. Her mind empty of all thoughts except for one thing, the kill.

She was a natural killer. Never thinking twice at stealing that precious gift called 'life'. She was trained to, all her life she was trained to kill or be killed. That's what Emmett and Bea had taught her. That was her code, her creed. For the longest time she had thought it better the target and not her. The target was usually a low life anyhow. However, what did that make her? She was a monster in her own right and that was without the guidance of Nora Strucker. That was all the teachings of the man she had trusted most, the man she killed in cold blood; Emmett Campbell. Regardless of the circumstance surrounding that event, Riley knew what she was capable of. If not her Granddad, it would have been someone else. Nora only enhanced that when she wiped Riley's memory. The murderous intent had always been there and now she was suffering internally for it. Maybe Emily _was_ better off far away from her. She wasn't right in the head; even after all this time, Nora was still digging her nails into Riley's brain.

"You're quite the shot." Riley jumped, turning on her heel and aiming her gun at the unfamiliar, well-dressed man in the room. His warm smile was not in the slightest comforting as he nodded. "My apologies for distracting you, Agent Campbell. I wanted to see for myself what your record clearly understates. You're a **_very_** good shot." She was wary as she continued to look at the man as he exhaled. "I am Commanding Officer Bryan Atkin. I run the military tactics and oversee any attacks from here on out for the Avengers team."

Riley lowered the handgun to her side. "What can I do for you, Officer Atkin?"

"I have a proposition for you." He began. "I hear you're after Sergeant Barnes; as am I."

She felt her stomach tie in knots at the mention of Bucky. "Can't help you there, he's off the grid."

He chuckled darkly. "I doubt pulling him into the playing field will be hard if you're a key token, Ms. Campbell."

She bit her lip, analyzing the man before her and knowing full well he was doing the same. "Can't help you." She repeated dryly. Barnes was hers to deal with. "I have my own agenda here."

"Ms. Campbell, I'm afraid you don't have a choice." He said, reaching into his coat pocket. Riley clutched her handgun a little tighter, afraid he was pulling for a weapon. To her surprise, Bryan pulled out a small leather notebook. "Shall I read something for you, Ms. Campbell?" She didn't reply as Bryan turned to a page and began to read. _"My beautiful daughter, my angel was taken from me today."_ He continued to read. _"That bastard thinks_ _ **I**_ _am not a suitable mother and that she will become a monster. Well, we are all monsters here. Even he is. He plans to raise her the same exact way I was; gun in hand. Someday, I'll see her again. Someday, I'll see you. Until then, sweet pea."_ Riley felt tears begin to form in her eyes and her chest tighten as the grin on Bryan's face contorted even wider. "You seem familiar with the contents of this diary, Ms. Campbell."

Her voice cracked slightly. As a reflex, her gun was now raised and pointed at Bryan. "Where did you get that?"

"As Commanding Officer, we were part of the clean up to the HYDRA base that was infiltrated by Sergeant Barnes and the Avengers." He said. "I had found this among Nora Strucker's possessions, and curiously enough she mentioned her daughter, Riley. That wouldn't be you now, would it?" He chuckled. "Though seeing from your current reactions, I believe I'm right."

"What do you want?" She said through gritted teeth.

"I told you." He said with a small, haphazard shrug. "I want Sergeant Barnes and _you_ are going to deliver him to me; alive. Otherwise, I'm sure General Ross and the United States Government would **_love_** to get their hands on Nora Strucker's daughter who was also a HYDRA agent."

"I was brainwashed." Riley tried to defend.

"You really think they'll care?" He said with a laugh. "A HYDRA agent, regardless of how they're made, is still taboo; especially for someone on the Avengers side." Riley continued to clutch her gun tightly. "Killing me won't help you either. Although, this is quite interesting. Barnes is wanted for being a HYDRA operative, imagine if they found out about you? What would happen to that poor baby of yours?"

Riley pulled back on the gun, the bullet entering the chamber as tears fell down her cheek. "You leave her out of this."

Bryan put away the notebook. "I'm on your side, Ms. Campbell. I know, I play dirty but we are on the same side." He said, attempting to reason with her. "I can be a reasonable man. Bring me Sergeant Barnes and I will guarantee you that no one will ever find out about you. You'll be free to go wherever with your daughter." Riley kept the gun at eye level with her finger on the trigger ready to pull back if he so much as sneezed the wrong way. "I think we understand each other, Ms. Campbell." He said. "Bring me Barnes and all of this will go away. I'll make sure of it." His sick and wicked smile seemed even more unbearable to Riley as he turned away from her. "I suggest you start packing, you leave for Wakanda in three hours." Commanding Officer Bryan Atwell left the room without another word. He knew he had Riley right where he wanted her. She was trapped, she had no other option.

Upon his leaving, Bryan snickered to himself as he heard the handgun go off multiple times. Riley was angry, frustrated and absolutely terrified. He knew he was one step closer to victory and Riley was the key to that.

* * *

 **Final Thought:** I love making evil characters. It's quite possibly my favorite thing. Thanks for reading and remember to review. Hopefully we can keep this story going.


	11. Love Will Have It's Sacrifices

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, thank you so much for your reviews. Sorry this chapter is coming so late, I had a wedding to attend and was in the wedding party so I was all over the place. Now I'm back to normal and nothing crazy is happening so there should be updates every week again!

Thank you so much to the people reviewing, you're right, why stop writing and punish those who do review.

I'd love to hear from more of you so please, don't be shy! Say hi or tell me what your favorite color is! The reason no reviews is frustrating is for two reasons.

1\. As a writer, you want to hear that people are enjoying your work. You want to know people want to keep reading. That means the world to writers.

2\. Believe it or not, some people won't read stories if they don't have a lot of reviews! Let's show them that these stories are worth reading! Make sure to review your favorite stories!

Anyway, I'm done rambling. Here's a super long chapter as my apology for missing two weeks. Reminder, the _italics_ are flashbacks. It's labeled!

You know the drill!

 **Read, review and above all… Enjoy!**

* * *

 ** _1.5 Years ago…._**

 _He sat like a statue; still and with controlled breathing. His good hand the only thing really moving as he ran his fingers through her long red hair. She had her head on his lap, staring ahead at the laptop on the table. They knew time was running out, if she didn't show any improvement in the two days Fury would make them return. Bucky didn't want that and Riley was pretty sure she didn't want that either. It was a failure on both their parts. She wanted to make him happy, some dormant part of her did. Riley knew going home would not do that. Bucky, on the other hand, didn't want to fail her. She had helped him so much in his recovery and he couldn't do the same for her. That tore him apart piece by piece. He wanted so much to be her savior like she was for him and it wasn't happening. For almost three months now, it was like Riley had an unbreakable wall separating her from her memories. James Buchannan Barnes felt hopeless._

 _"What are they going to do to me if we go back?" Riley asked softly as she eyed the laptop._

 _He didn't know. "I'm not sure, Red." He replied. "They will probably want to do their own form of therapy with you."_

 _She inhaled deeply, Bucky watched as her side rose and fell gently as she relaxed. One thing Barnes couldn't see were her tear stained cheeks. She felt so lost, so confused. Nothing made sense and everything was falling apart at once. Her nightmares just doubled that. The older man in her dreams; why did seeing him cause such a negative effect? She killed him, at least, she_ _ **thinks**_ _she did. What could she trust anymore? Who could should trust anymore besides the metal armed soldier? "I don't want to go back." She finally admitted._

 _Bucky sighed as frustration took over. "I don't either, Red."_

 _"What if—" She began. "What if we try to force my memory to come back? Like a form of cognitive recalibration?"_

 _Bucky made a face, disapproving of her suggestion. "I'm not hitting you on the head."_

 _"It was worth a shot." She muttered._

 _"Not it wasn't." He returned the tone as the room fell silent again._

 _Riley turned now, rolling onto her back to look up at Bucky. He could tell she had been crying; it only made him feel worse. "Tell me about us again." She said. "Tell me about the time I tried to kill you."_

 _He snorted. "_ _ **Which**_ _time?"_

 _Riley smiled faintly. "All of them." His body relaxed a little as a smile of his own crept over his face as he began to tell her their life story all over again._

* * *

Absentmindedly, James Buchannan Barnes flipped the dented coin in his metal hand. The coin clinking against his flingers as it danced around them. It was soothing being the only noise in the quiet conference room aside from a few bored coughs from Clint. He felt bad for Clint, having to leave his family twice. He knew the feeling. It sucked. At least Clint left them on a positive note. Riley was probably on the war path, ready to kill him and Emily… well, Emily didn't know any better. His life was chaos at this point; a chaos he always knew was coming yet was never prepared for.

It didn't really surprise Barnes when the group came to the fully functioning hidden base filled with a resistance led by none other than Nicholas J. Fury. Nothing really surprised him anymore when Fury was involved. He pretty much accepted it blindly, even if that went against his gut feeling.

He wondered if Steve had told Fury about Riley. He expected to be grilled over that information once Fury and Steve finished debriefing if he did. That was a conversation he really wasn't looking forward to.

With a sigh from Barton; the door opened revealing Steve Rogers, Nick Fury and Sam Wilson. They quietly walked into the room, Fury already glaring at Barnes. _'Thanks Steve, you're a pal.'_ He thought dryly as the group sat. "So what's the scenario?" Barton was the first to ask, as he shuffled in his seat. He hated waiting for answers.

"We have other issues to deal with besides this Crossbones and whatever is happening in Wakanda." Fury said sternly. "Roger's insists on heading out there anyway. Fine, you can take one of the jets. However, we have a team assembled here of other rogue heroes that want to fight back against the Act and still fight any bad guys that come our way."

"So we're dividing up, basically?" Barton asked.

"Pretty much." Steve said. "I'm heading out for Wakanda in two hours. My operative is to take down Crossbones before he hurts anymore civilians."

"If we do this, Cap." Sam said. "We'll be on the Avengers Most Wanted list."

"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make." Steve said. "I'm not going to ask any of you to come with me. You will be a threat to the New Avengers, the UN will come after you if you join me."

The room fell silent until Barnes spoke up. "We followed you here for a reason, Steve. We know what we're getting in to."

Steve nodded. "I want a small team, nothing too big. We want to be in and out."

"Count me in." Sam added.

Barton shrugged. "I have nothing better to do."

"I'm in." Bucky said, leaning back on his chair.

Fury immediately interrupted. "If Barnes goes, he needs to be out of sight at all times."

Bucky looked at Fury in disbelief. "I'm not going to hide on the sidelines."

"If the Avengers team shows up, you have bigger problems to worry about. Remember the red head **you** compromised?" Bucky's jaw clenched tightly. "She will kill you if she sees you, Barnes."

"I can handle her."

"Like you did in Brazil? From what I heard she's completely lost it and that's all thanks to you." Fury countered. Bucky glared at Steve. "Don't look at Rogers, he didn't tell me anything. You think I don't have eyes and ears everywhere? I know what's been happening with Agent Campbell ever since you two came back to New York. Last thing we want to do is provoke her further and draw attention. If you're going with Rogers you are staying out of sight and away from Agent Campbell. Is that clear?"

If looks could kill, Bucky's glare would have sent Fury to a thousand deaths each one more painful than the last. He growled before pushing himself out of his chair and storming from the room knowing full well he'd be followed by the Star Spangled Man.

* * *

"Bucky!" Steve called after him down the hall. Thankfully for Steve, he was just as fast a walker as Barnes. He put a comforting hand on Bucky's shoulder, Bucky quickly turned; angered.

"Who does he think he is?" Bucky spat. "He doesn't know the whole story."

"He knows enough, Buck." Steve said sympathetically. "You and Riley were in the wrong but I get why you did it. You thought it was the right thing to do for her."

He shook his head. "I didn't want to lose her again, she didn't want to go back. Then she was pregnant. What was I supposed to do?"

Steve shrugged. "Again, you did what you thought was right. I can't condemn you for that."

"No but, everyone else can." Bucky groaned. "Who told him anyway?"

"No idea." Steve let out a sigh. "Anyone that found out about her relapse could have said something." Bucky huffed, his shoulders falling as he avoided all eye contact with Steve now. His hand nervously ran through his hair; Riley was right, it was getting long. "He's right, you know? If she sees you, who knows what she'll do. Not only that, if you're out in the public view, anyone could take you in. You're a wanted man, Buck."

"And when you become a wanted man after fighting this terrorist, are you going to sit back on the sidelines?" Bucky remarked.

"You can still fight. Just don't open yourself to getting caught or killed."

Bucky looked at Steve now, his eyes somewhat pleading. "If I can get her to come with us—"

"At what cost, Buck?"

"I owe her the chance to come with me." He exhaled through his nose, a small smirk appearing on his lips. "Hell, I owe her a lot of things. I royally screwed up here, I'm not the good guy here. Don't try to convince me otherwise. Unlike you, I'm selfish. I kept the girl of my dreams from getting the help she needed because I didn't want to fail her. That's the Winter Soldier in me; something I can't change. But I do know, we're better off on the run than submitting ourselves to whatever force the Act has. I don't know what it is but, I know I made the right choice leaving."

Steve nodded. "I can't help but feel like you're right in that speculation. Right now, we need to stop this terrorist attack and then we can focus on fixing what's happening here." Bucky was silent but Steve knew he agreed. "And please just do what Fury says, I don't want him on my back anymore." He said, trying to make light of the situation.

Bucky's smirk grew. "You know I'll get the brunt of his infamous chats." Steve reciprocated his best friend's smirk as the two headed back to the conference room. Their mission would begin very soon and Bucky Barnes had a nasty habit of not following orders.

* * *

Riley sat quietly, looking out the jet window as the world below her passed by. They'd reach Wakanda soon and her stomach was in knots. Commanding Officer Bryan Atkin left her feeling completely vulnerable. She had dealt with her fair share of dreadful assholes, he was the by far the worst. The man was using her weaknesses to draw out her not-so-favorite person right now. He used her daughter against her, he used Nora against her. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Riley hated being stuck. Just when she was beginning to second guess her decision and maybe accept Bucky's rash decision regarding their daughter… this had to happen. Now she had no choice; now she was beginning to understand Barnes.

Riley knew Natasha and Stark had their eyes on her, carefully watching her every step to make sure she wasn't about to go off the deep end. What was more terrifying to them was how calm Riley appeared on the outside. Inside, however, she was screaming.

Natasha was the first to approach Riley, sitting down beside her and keeping her voice low. "We have a small team." She said as if confirming with Riley that she should be fine among them. "I shouldn't have to say it but, I feel like I need to. If Barnes for some reason stayed with Rogers and is there—"

"I'm not going to kill him, Nat." Riley said with an eye roll, trying her best to stay in character. "I'm here part of the team and as backup if needed. We're arresting anyone that does anything illegal."

Nat was unimpressed as her lips formed a straight line. "It's going to be hard arresting our friends." She said, fishing for a reaction. "Can't imagine how hard it'll be arresting the father of your child."

Riley knew what she was doing. She wasn't stupid, she was a spy too after all. "It'll get me one step closer to Emily."

"Just remember what we talked about." She said in reference to their conversation in her room. The same conversation that sparked her interest to find out what Barnes had reported about Riley. Natasha knew a lot more than she was letting on, of course she did. Fury gave her insight. Now she had to quietly use that information without anyone, including Riley, catching on.

"Natasha." Riley breathed. "I'm fine." She had to keep acting, she knew she couldn't let Natasha know about Bryan Atkin and his threats. "I just want Emily back."

Natasha nodded. "We'll get her back, Riley. Just don't do anything rash."

"Sometimes—" Riley began, now she was just saying anything that came to mind. "I wonder if I did make the right choice in staying here."

"You made the right choice, Deadshot." The two women stopped and looked to their right to see Tony Stark passing by, his Iron Man suit, except for his helmet already on. "Get ready to disembark, we're about forty-five minutes out. We got word of someone spotting Rogers."

Riley's breath was caught in her throat until Natasha spoke first. "I think you're okay. Let's just get ready and try not to receive questioning glances from the rest of the team." Riley glared slightly as the two stood from their spots to prepare for the mission. If anything, things were surely about to get interesting.

* * *

 ** _Wakanda…_**

She blended in, her sidearm completely concealed under her jacket as she walked the busy marketplace. This was a whole different side of Wakanda, different than the boat yard she had been to with the Avengers two years prior. It was lively, vibrant, and full of unsuspecting people as a hidden Avengers team stood among them, separated but connected by their ear pieces. "Deadshot, report." She heard in her earpiece.

"Nothing yet. Do we engage if spotted?" She asked.

"Only if they plan on fighting Crossbones." Stark confirmed.

"And what if Crossbones attacks us?" Natasha chimed in.

"We cannot engage Crossbones so try not to tick him off." Stark said.

Riley scoffed. "That's stupid. What if he's attacking civilians?"

"We need permission from the United Government of Wakanda before we take any action on him. Our primary mission is to stop Rogers. We can assist civilians if need be." Stark said, fully aware their comm channel was also accessible by 'Big Brother'.

Before Riley could protest, Natasha spoke again. "I've got Barton in my sights. Eastern market; strolling. I'm on his six."

"Do not engage, keep an eye on him." Stark said, deep down hoping that Rogers wouldn't have showed up. He knew better, however. "Any other sightings?"

"Negative." Natasha confirmed as she stealthily continued to follow Barton.

* * *

"They can't engage us unless we go after Crossbones." Steve said into his own earpiece as he casually strolled undercover amongst the marketplace. "Keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity."

"I've got Nat." Barton hummed to the group, walking Nat away from the rest of the group's positions.

"Keep her busy. Sam, update?" Steve said.

Sam was perched on top a nearby building, out of sight and out of mind as he stared down at the marketplace below. He was the only one with his gear on him. Everyone else had a hiding place for theirs. "Nothing yet, Stark is definitely not down there." He corrected himself. "Got an eye on the red head."

"Where?" Bucky chimed in, he was somewhat out of sight and out of the battle. His arm completely covered up to attempt to disguise himself as he stayed in an alley way, waiting.

"Oh no, soldier." Sam said. "Fury said to stay out of it."

Bucky smirked. "When do I ever listen to Fury?"

"That's what I was afraid of." Sam said with a low chuckle.

"Guys, focus." Steve said sternly. "I need eyes on all suspicious characters."

"I got one." Wanda said. "A man, he's nervous. I can see a truck in his mind. Something is off here."

With that, an explosion came from the north end of the marketplace and a SWAT styled truck barreled into the square. As people ran in different directions, scattering from the newly developed chaos, both sides knew something was about to go down.

* * *

Bucky didn't care at this point, he came out of hiding to examine the damage. Smoke engulfed the sky as a grenade went off somewhere to his right. He was a lot closer to the battle then he realized. The loud boom sending people in a frenzy towards his direction as he pushed passed them and towards the action on the street. He scanned the crowd, looking for his red head. God forbid she was caught in the worst of this mess. "Buck, I've got Crossbones in my sight." He barely heard Steve say in his earpiece over the ringing in his ears. "Stay put, Avengers are going to be coming out."

"I need sights on Riley." He said. "Sam, do you see her?"

"Negative, Sarge." Sam said as he swooped down to street level. "I have to help Cap. Wanda, where are you?"

"Evacuation." She said quickly, trying to help the civilians to a safe distance. All she could think of in the back of her mind was Sokovia, this was exactly like her home all over again. The fear, the panic, she could feel it all.

There was shuffling in the earpieces as Barton spoke fast. "I've got Tasha." They were most definitely having a scuffle; Barton dodging her attacks as he tried to land his own hits.

With one Avenger busy, there were still an unknown number to account for as Barnes continued to scan the crowd. He saw in the distance a familiar, black metal robot in the distance. "Rhodey." He muttered to himself as he watched Colonel Rhodes attempt to evacuate civilians from the fight. "Steve, I have eyes on Rhodey."

Something was wrong, he could feel it. As soon as those words left his mouth, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand. Even among the crowd of people in chaos, he knew he wasn't alone. Quickly, Bucky turned and grabbed the arm of his attacked. Some man in heavy, bullet proof armor tried to attack from behind. Bucky already had him in his grasps as he flipped him onto the ground, grabbing his side arm and firing. If Crossbones and his team were going to trip him up, they'd have to do a lot better than that. The gunfire, however, received unwanted attention as innocents nearby screamed and ran towards the direction of War Machine. Except for one, unmoving face in the crowd.

Bucky saw her, standing completely still as people ran past her. The world around him fell deaf on his ears, the only sound being the thudding of his pulse as he watched her. It wasn't until he saw her reach for something in her pocket, he ran.

* * *

Pushing through the crowd, Riley was on his six. She held her handgun in one hand as she exchanged the bullets with tranquilizers. "I have Agent Campbell on the move." She hard in her earpiece, the voice was unfamiliar to her, an Agent perhaps for Ross.

"Riley." Stark said into his comm. "Stand down." He knew what she was going for, he wasn't an idiot.

Riley grabbed her earpiece and ripped it out of her ear, throwing it to the ground as she continued in pursuit of the Winter Soldier.

Dodging cars, Bucky's plan to get Riley away from the chaos was working. However, now he had to not get shot by the world's best marksman. He knew if he just had one moment with her, then maybe, just maybe he could convince her to come with him. For now, he had to get them away from the fight.

Bucky knew as long as he ran in a jagged and unclear course, he'd have a better chance of not getting hit. Riley was focused on one thing, taking him out. He led her down a few more alley ways and away from any civilians who could get hurt in their fight. He also knew she wasn't as fast as him and that was his advantaged as he turned the next alley corner and waited.

Riley ran down the last alley way, noticing it was dead silent. She stopped running and listened. Sirens echoed in the distance, gunfire and explosions. Hopefully, her team and the others were all right. She had another mission right now, she had to focus. Slowly and carefully, she stepped down the alley. She knew this maze would end eventually, he got her far away from the fight. However, he didn't know just how well that worked out for her plan. How well that worked for Commanding Officer Bryan Atkin.

As she approved the corner of the alley, she took one last breath. Her gun raised and ready to fire, only to be met with his metal arm. He grabbed her wrist tightly, forcing her to drop the gun. Riley lifted her leg and kicked him in the chest, sending him back as she frantically looked for the gun. To her right, it laid mockingly. She swiftly ran for it, only to be grabbed by the cold metal and forced back into the wall. His arms on either side of her. "Hello, gorgeous." He said with a sly smirk.

Infuriated, just as he planned for her to be, she kicked his leg and slide out from under him. Now behind him, she scrambled for the gun again. This time, Bucky wrapped his arms tightly around her; forcing her arms at her side and immobilizing her as best he could. "Get off me!" She growled.

"Just hear me out, Red." He said right back as she squirmed to get away.

"Give me my gun and sure!" She sarcastically replied.

He scoffed. "Great plan, doll." She struggled a bit more before admitting defeat. Riley went somewhat limp in his arms, waiting for him to let go. "Listen to me, for just one second."

"Why should I?" She asked, feeling more emotion than she would have liked in her voice. "Ghost, you took our daughter from me and you expect me not to fight?"

He let her go, forcing her to turn around and face him as his metal arm clamped her shoulder tightly. "And you expected me to just leave her? Riley, you're not okay." She looked somewhat betrayed as he said that. "I didn't really have a choice here either. You're not the only one who had to suffer."

"Then why does it feel like I've lost the most?"

He loosened his grip then, letting his arm fall to his side. "Come with me, Rye." He was practically pleading. "You don't belong with them. _We_ don't belong with them."

She bit her lip, nervously. "One day you're going to realize we can't keep running from our problems anymore. We have to stand and fight eventually. What side will you be on?"

"At least come with me so we can figure that out." He offered.

Riley shook her head. "Even if I wanted to, I can't now." The hidden meaning in her words weren't lost on Ghost as he looked at her, perplexed. Before he could counter, she shook her head in warning.

"So now what, Riley?"

Riley shrugged. "Now I arrest you, bring you in for questioning. The usual stuff."

He smirked. "That's not going to happen."

"Not right now, no." She agreed. "But it will happen. It has to."

"It doesn't _have_ to."

Riley shook her head. "Is she safe?"

"No one will find her." He confirmed, even though that also meant Riley wouldn't either.

"Agent Campbell." The two turned to see Natasha coming down the alley way, her gun raised as she aimed it at Barnes. "Sergeant, it's time for you to leave." Riley looked at Bucky. "Last chance before they arrive."

"Think about it." Bucky said before turning his back to Riley and heading down the opposite alley.

Riley, looking to her right at the gun, quickly grabbed at it. This was her chance, the only way she could take him out. She had to, she had to bring him in. For Emily. Everything now was for Emily, he'd understand. As she steadied herself to aim, another gun went off, missing her as a warning shot. Riley looked to her left, Natasha's gun smoking. She looked back down the alley, Barnes was gone. "What was that for?" She hissed at Natasha.

"You're welcome." She said sternly. "Not letting you do something you'd regret."

"I have to bring him in, Natasha." Riley said, her voice cracking from anger and panic. Natasha noticed, of course she did. Riley quickly corrected herself. "We have to bring him in, he's a fugitive. You said so yourself."

"You went rogue on this mission, Rye." She reprimanded the other red head. "What happened to staying quiet? I don't know what's going to happen when we get back to headquarters." That's right, everyone saw her go rogue. Riley now had to worry that she would face being arrested for her actions. Would Bryan be able to stop that? What would happen if she were arrested, what would happen to Emily? Her mind began to swim with different outcomes, pain began to throb in her head. "Riley?" Natasha tried again, afraid of the worst.

Her eyes shut, the gun clutched in her hair so tightly her knuckles turning white, Riley inhaled and held her breath a few moments before exhaling. No, she would be fine. She had to be find, she had to be find for Emily. "I'm okay." She stuttered. "I'm okay." She said again, opening her eyes, her gun still clutched firmly.

"Let's go to the jet." Natasha offered, suspicion rising. "The walk will do you good." Riley just nodded as she forced herself to move to Natasha. The two heading for an unknown verdict back at headquarters. It was safe to say, the Avengers lost this round. Riley once again feeling she lost more than the rest.

* * *

 **Final Thought:** Thank you again for reading, please remember to review! Things are going to get crazier from here!


	12. Her Worst Nightmare

**Author's Rambles:** Hey all, sorry for the long wait. I was kind-of waiting for Civil War to finally come out to see where they were going with it. Long story short, it's a good movie and it's also helping with the direction of this fanfic.

That being said, expect spoilers in future chapters.

I also wrote a near ending snippet/chapter just to get it out there and have an idea what I wanted for Riley and Bucky. It got intense and now I have to finish this story for you! Hopefully you're still here and reading and ready to continue this adventure with me.

Thank you to those reviewing, the reviews really help show that there's still interest here. Keep them coming!

And finally, you know the drill.

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I still don't own Marvel!

* * *

 _ **Brazil 1.5 Years Ago...**_

 _James Buchannan Barnes found himself wandering a lot. Specifically in the early hours when Riley was finally knocked out cold. Tranquilizers worked wonders sometimes. Luckily for him it was her idea in the first place._

 _The early mornings in Brazil were beautiful. The ground would be wet from morning dew, the early morning sun trickling light threw the dew drops. The sound of the local wildlife waking up slowly and intimately. Everything about this place was peaceful. Everything except her, of course. His red head was losing hope, and honestly, so was he. He couldn't help her like he had wanted, they'd have to head back home after his meeting with Fury tomorrow. He felt like a failure, he failed the one person he wanted to protect. The Ghost had failed his red head._

 _With a long, exasperated sigh, Bucky ran his good hand through his hair; pulling it back and tying it up into a small bun. That was the only thing he hated about Brazil, the way his hair would stick to the back of his neck. It was really growing out again after her had trimmed it shorter not too long ago. A time when things were still complicated but easier to get through. A time when he was forgetful but it didn't matter because she was safe, she was happy; she was okay. A time he'd kill to go back to._

 _The safe house came into view, he stopped walking and stared at it for a long time. The sun peeking through the trees as it began to illuminate the sidings of the house. She'd wake up soon, if she hadn't already. He wanted to be there, like he had been for the last three months. Like he had been ever since he spent the night in the Russian safe house; like he would continue to do for the rest of his life. Anything for Riley, anything for the girl he owed so much to. The girl he loved, the girl he failed. He'd be lying if he said it didn't hurt. With one last, deep breath, Bucky went inside; unsure of what kind of Riley he'd find today._

 _She stood in the living area, alert even for someone waking out of a forced sleep. Her head snapping towards his direction, her eyes watering. Bucky was ready for the worst, ready for a fight, that was until she smiled brightly; laughing incredulously at the sight before her. This concerned Bucky even more, had she completely lost it? It wasn't until she spoke, Barnes had any inkling as to what was happening. "Ghost…" She said. She had said his nickname before, but, the way she said it nearly caused Bucky to fall over. There was_ _ **recognition**_ _, there was a sign that she knew exactly who she was looking at._

 _"Red?" He barely choked out as the red head nodded eagerly. Before he knew it, he was across the floor already, holding her in his arms like it was the last time he'd ever hug her. "Please tell me I'm not dreaming." She gently placed her hands on either side of his face, looking up at him with that same loving look her had longed for so long. That look she hadn't given him in three months. That look he'd kill for. He lost all control then, crashing his lips to hers with need he hadn't felt since the early days of their relationship. She returned the kiss with the same breathless hunger. He had his red head back, at least, he thought he had. That was something they'd deal with after their meeting with Fury the next day, a meeting they were horribly late to._

* * *

 ** _Present Day..._**

Riley's eyes snapped open, she wasn't sure how long she had dozed for but, her mind was beginning to fog. Shutting her eyes again tightly, she inhaled deeply until the feeling dissipated. She wouldn't relapse here, not now. She was already in a world of trouble as she moved her hands just enough to hear the rattle of the handcuffs. A friendly reminder that Riley J. Campbell was a prisoner on the jet back to the Avengers Compound in Upstate New York. She had gone rogue chasing after Bucky; Ross had ordered for her to be under arrest and constant surveillance until they decided what to do with her. It wasn't the worst part of her day by far.

Maybe running was not such a bad idea anymore. Maybe Bucky was right; they weren't heroes. Even though she wanted to be, at least, in some strange way she wanted to reconcile her past and pay her dues to society. She wanted forgiveness, she wanted redemption for what she had done. Yet, maybe being a hero really was unattainable for someone like her. Now she couldn't run. Not anymore. She didn't have a choice, Atkin knew where Emily was. Even if she tried to run, get Bucky and go find Emily, she wouldn't make it there on time. She also didn't know exactly how high on Atkin's radar she was.

With a groan, she looked around the jet; noting the locations of each Avenger where they stood. They didn't have any other prisoners, that meant Barnes and the others got away. She then realized Stark had noticed her awake, and with a disapproving scowl, he marched over and sat down next to her. "Had a nice nap?" He said with sarcasm in every word.

"Stark—" She tried.

"What were you thinking¸ Deadshot?" He asked. "You deliberately disobeyed orders and now you're in a world of trouble with Ross. I don't think we can protect you from them; you're going to get arrested and then what about Emily?"

What about Emily? Would Riley's inevitable incarceration cause Atkin to go after her? This was his plan after all, he should have known this could happen. "Stark." She tried again, this time more desperation in her voice. He actually stopped; looking more like a concerned father than an angry teammate. "Find Emily, keep her safe." She said in a low voice.

"We will." He promised her. "What's going on?"

She forced a weak but snarky smile. "I'm getting incarcerated, remember?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "I swear, Deadshot. You find humor in the worst of times. We'll figure out how to get you out of this. Maybe just a slap on the wrist, suspension from the team for a few missions."

"Whatever we have to do." She said, reclining back in her chair. "How long until we arrive?"

"Ten minutes." Stark said. "Get your innocent face on." Her smirk widened into a wicked grin. "Best let me do all the talking." Stark said quickly, getting up from his seat across from Riley and heading towards the front of the jet. Things were about to get interesting.

* * *

"What the hell was that, Barnes?" When Fury would get angry, **_really_** angry, a vein would bulge on the top of his head just under the strap of his eyepatch. This was really the first time Bucky noticed it in person. Especially since Fury was shouting at him. "I told you to stay out of it!"

"And I did." Bucky replied coolly. "She found me."

"And what if she shot you?" Bucky just shrugged in reply. "You know what, I hope next time she does shoot your ass."

"Alright, enough." Steve said, finally stepping in. "We have other things to discuss." Fury and Barnes ceased their argument, however, their glares continued as Steve carried on. "There's something really strange about the sudden appearance of Crossbones."

"How so?" Barton asked, keeping a constant watch on Fury and Barnes, just in case things went down.

"Doesn't anyone else find it odd that he shows up just in time for the Act? He called out only those that didn't want to sign it. It's like he's trying to get them to come out in the open to get caught." Steve said. "It just feels like something bigger is going on."

Falcon snorted. "That's because there's always something bigger going on."

"Are you thinking HYDRA stragglers?" Fury questioned.

Steve shrugged. "Quite possibly. As we know HYDRA, there's never just one."

"Cut off one head—" Bucky mumbled, folding his arms over his chest with an uneasiness he couldn't really hide.

"If that's the case, then we need to uncover where Crossbones is getting his orders from." Fury said.

"It has to be someone with information." Barton chimed in. "Someone will access to things not many people would know."

Steve gave Barton a pointed look. "Do you think there's a mole?"

He just shrugged. "I think there's someone who knows too much."

It made sense and that made Bucky worry. What if there was a mole, what if someone was inside on this whole Act thing and using it to their advantage? If that were the case, it had to be someone on Stark's side and that meant Riley was in danger. It was no longer about convincing the red head to join him, he had to make her. Excusing himself quickly, Bucky left the conference room to talk to the last person he'd ever ask for help. A certain speedster who hated attending meetings.

* * *

Riley was still handcuffed, however, she wasn't in jail just yet. Instead, she sat in the center office of the Avengers Compound. A soundproof glass walled box with a table, chairs and a monitor above her. She was easily seen by any and all personnel working on that floor. She could also see an angry General Ross shouting at Tony Stark and pointing in her direction. "Oh, I'm in trouble." She made light of the situation as she watched the arguing continue.

The arguing men soon calmed as Natasha came over, nodding to the glass box. The three remained quiet before wandering into Riley's little holding area. Riley kept her sarcastic grin as Ross entered last. "Agent Campbell." He began. "You went rogue, you went against protocol and that is something we cannot allow."

"I was bringing in Barnes." She tried to defend.

"While we appreciate your—" He paused trying to find the word. " _Passion_ to take down Sergeant Barnes; you still went against protocol. You went against orders and you attacked."

Riley rolled her eyes. "You see, if I caught him you wouldn't be mad."

"Riley, please." Stark said, actually using her name for once. That made Riley realize that she was in more trouble than she originally thought.

She sighed, adjusting herself in her seat before asking the tough questions. "What happens now?"

"We need to place you under evaluation." Ross said. "Mental and emotion evaluation to make sure you're still an asset to the team. If you pass, you will be on probation. If not, we will have to take other actions."

Riley felt a pit in her stomach forming. A psych evaluation was not something she needed, not now. That would blow her cover; that would ruin everything. She looked at Natasha for any form of guidance, she responded by looking down. There was no way out of this. Riley was going to get caught.

Miracles can happen in many forms, wanted and unwanted. Miracles that can save a person for good and miracles that save a person for ill. He walked in, a calm smile on his face as he stood next to General Ross. "General, I'm sorry I'm late." He said, looking at Riley. That pit began to grow in her stomach as she stared him down, what was he doing?

"Commanding Officer, we were just dealing out our sentencing for Agent Campbell's actions." Ross filled him in.

Bryan tried to look stunned. "May I ask what her sentence is?"

"For acting against protocol, she needs to go under psych evaluation and then we can see fit where she ends up." Ross said.

Bryan clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth. "General, I don't think it necessary to punish Ms. Campbell. She was doing what seemed necessary for the group and assisting in the capture of those who act against the Registration. I see no harm here."

"With all due respect, Commanding Officer. I believe an evaluation must be completed." Ross said.

Bryan, as charming as ever, countered once more. "Very well, General. As someone in your position, I see you really have no choice in the matter. You deal with these situations with a demeanor I wish more men in my service had."

' _Such flattery_.' Riley thought, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Might I make one suggestion?" Bryan said. "As you know from my background, I have a degree in psych; specifically for those dealing with fighting against a significant other on the battlefield. You may remember from my file the story of my late wife, General?" Ross hummed in reply. "Let me evaluate, Ms. Campbell."

Riley wanted to object, her body tensing up completely; she wanted to fight against this. However, Bryan would be her saving grace if he distracted them all from the truth. It was a win-lose situation no matter how she saw it. "Very well." Ross said.

"Splendid." Bryan grinned brightly. "Ms. Campbell, please come to my office in twenty."

"Why can't she stay here?" Natasha interjected.

Bryan kept his smile. "Ms. Romanoff, this is a psych evaluation. This is personal and classified information from Ms. Campbell. We cannot compromise any of this otherwise we could miss something entirely. I'm sure Ms. Campbell would agree."

All eyes turned to Riley as she sat there in her seat, putting on her brave face and forcing a small smile. "I'll be fine, Tasha." She said. "I'm sure it won't take long."

"It's settled then. I will see you soon, Ms. Campbell." Bryan said, nodding to the group before dismissing himself.

Stark, somewhat relieved Riley wouldn't be in jail yet feeling more concern over Bryan taking over Riley's psych evaluation, excused himself not much after and headed for a quiet area before taking out his phone. "FRIDAY." He looked at the screen. "Anything yet on Commanding Officer Bryan Atkin?"

"Negative, Mr. Stark." The computer voice said. "Just his file on record with the Government. Still searching the databases for anything more."

Stark was displeased but knew there was only so much they could do. "Get a message to Maria Hill. I want her looking too."

"Yes sir." Stark was beginning to suspect something more was at play here, and he wasn't alone in his suspicions. He needed to find something, anything to condemn Bryan Atkin. The man so eager to get Riley alone.

* * *

Bucky found Pietro lounging around the common area of the base; surprisingly enough he was staying out of trouble. Pietro looked up from his seat, seeing the soldier and tensing slightly. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it."

Rolling his eyes, Bucky let his shoulders fall. He didn't want to go to Pietro for help; that was the last thing he wanted. However, this wasn't about it. This was about Riley. "I'm about to do something and I need you to not be a little prick about it, okay?" Pietro eyed him carefully as Bucky ran a hand through his hair. "I need your help."

Pietro erupted into laughter. "The soldier has come to be for help? What has you this desperate?"

"Riley." Bucky answered truthfully with somewhat of a groan.

Pietro's playfulness died down a little. "Is she okay?"

"Well, if you attended the meetings—" Pietro just snorted. "You'd know that we think there's an inside HYDRA agent in the government." Bucky said dryly. "And I think Riley could be in trouble because of it."

"So what do you need from me?"

"Knowing how this is going to go down, we'll be heading out for another mission to take down Crossbones. If that's the case, Stark and the others will be showing up. If they do, I need you to help me—" He paused for a moment trying to think of a way to word it.

"Kidnap the red head." Pietro finished the sentence.

"In so many words, kid." Bucky rolled his eyes.

Pietro grinned. "You got it, old man. Just tell me what to do."

"She's going to fight dirty and take any shot she can at me. She won't see you coming or even expect you." Bucky said. "I'll distract her as much as I can, you just need to take her."

"Won't she try to fight me?"

Bucky sighed; reluctance in his voice. "I give you permission to knock her out if you have to." He said, only to grow more serious and threatening. "But hurt her any more than that and I will end you. Got it?"

Pietro's grin only widened in reply. "Count me in, Soldier."

* * *

Riley looked down at her wrists, two red circles were left behind from the handcuffs. Thankfully, the cuffs were off now; she didn't feel like a prisoner anymore. At least, not a prisoner to anyone except Bryan Atkin. She sat in his office; deafening silence say for the central air. She wanted more than anything to get up and run, leave the compound and find Emily. She knew that wasn't possible; she'd be caught and have to deal with whatever Atkin had planned.

He finally joined her, walking into the room and closing the door behind him. He was still smiling as he nonchalantly wandered over to the chair in front of Riley, sitting down and crossing his one leg over the other. "Report." He said. Riley didn't answer at first, she just eyed him carefully. "No one can hear you, the audio is out. Only the cameras are working, so let's put on a good show. Report."

"There isn't much to report. He got away."

"How?" His smile faded now; his tone a little harsh.

Riley bit her lip at first. "He saw me coming; outran me. I had the Avengers on my tail, someone caught my movements through the com link."

"If you're not competent enough for this task, Ms. Campbell; I can always find someone else who is. Once I tie up loose ends with you and your daughter, of course."

"That won't be necessary." Riley said through gritted teeth; her eyes beginning to pool with unwanted tears at the mere threat to her daughter.

Bryan smirked now, changing the subject. "You know—" He began. "Madame Strucker had some interesting ideas in that little book of hers. It's full of schematics and plans for HYDRA; she was quite the genius."

Something in that sentence caught her attention; even in her mental state. "That's an interesting name." She said lowly. "No one outside of HYDRA has ever called her that." She saw it in his eyes. The false smile didn't distract her; she saw in his eyes that he knew he let something slip. "Who are you really?"

He shifted in his seat again, his leg uncrossing from the other as he leaned forward. Suddenly, his voice was filled with a thick German accent. "I think you would have made a great predecessor for your Mother, Ms. Campbell. You come from a long line of HYDRA agents. Your Granddad, your Aunt and your Mother. It's in your blood, you cannot fight it." A few of the unwanted tears fell as the realization fully came through. Riley was doing exactly what she feared, helping HYDRA. The terrible choice of giving Bucky to HYDRA or endanger her daughter. "Just remember, I have people watching your precious Emily as we speak. Any word of this, any suspicious activity at all—" His grin was wicked as he sat back in his seat, his German accent disappearing again. "Well, I think we know what that means." Riley slowly nodded, unable to speak as tears continued to fall down her cheeks. He knew he had her, she was a desperate mother and that worked to his advantage. "Now be a good girl and bring me Sergeant Barnes."

He handed her a tissue to wipe her eyes, at least on camera it would look like he had a breakthrough with Riley. A convincing one at that, one that would satisfy General Ross yet leave a bad taste in Natasha Romanoff's mouth as they watched the silent footage.

* * *

 **Final Thought:** Oh, we are going to hate Bryan Atkin. In the notes with the aforementioned chapter I wrote, you're going to really, **_really_** hate this guy. Anyway! Thanks for reading, remember to review!


	13. Appealing To Your Humanity

**Author's Note** : Hey all, sorry for the wait. We're going to get into the mind of Bryan Atkin this chapter and maybe even a little more in the next chapter! Who knows? But for now, here's some insight on Bryan.

And of course…

Reviewers: 

Elliebelle4444: I updated! Don't worry! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

.2016: Thank you!

Bridgetlynn: I don't want anyone to be sympathetic to any of the characters in this part of the story. Everyone is going to be making mistakes and doing things that will hurt someone else in the end. There is no such thing as good and evil anymore, it's not so black and white. And you're right, Bucky kidnapped his daughter. That's what it really comes down to. Thank you for reviewing!

Nada101: Thank you! I started this story before the movie came out so I was going off of what I knew about the comics and now it's shifting more towards the movie but I'm leaving a lot of stuff out and adding different stuff. Might as well, I changed everything else in the last one right? Thanks for reviewing!

Adamo393: Yes a sequel! Thank you for reading!

Remember to review guys, I love hearing from you!

And of course, enough babble, you know the drill!

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** Stiiiiiiill don't own Marvel or any of its characters. I just own my OC's and write this for pure fun and not for fame or glory or money. It's all for your entertainment!

* * *

 _ **Brazil 1.5 Years Ago...**_

 _Riley was in a state of panic as she paced back and forth from one end of the kitchen counter to the other and back again. She had been sick the past week now, waking up with nausea and sometimes actually getting sick. It didn't bother her as much as it bothered Barnes; he was concerned for her well being and ever-so watchful of her mental state. This was just something extra to add to the complicated relationship he found himself in. Granted, he wouldn't trade it for the world. However, he would like at least one night of uninterrupted sleep._

 _Riley, thinking nothing of her illness, continued living her mornings carefree. Well, as carefree as she could until that particular morning when she realized just how_ _ **late**_ _she was. It was something she completely lost track of, an unimportant natural thing from Mother Nature that she ignored. With her memory returning a little over a month ago now, she had more important things to worry about. Now, she found herself worrying about it. She couldn't remember the last time she had it. Now, the panic was setting in as she paced._

 _In the wee early hours, the sun just beginning to rise and light the sky, Riley J. Campbell was panicking over the possibility of being a Mother. Was that even something she could do? How would Ghost be as a Father? "How did this even happen?" She mumbled, her hand on her head as she paced. "I mean, I_ _ **know**_ _how this happened—" She exhaled. "But_ _ **how**_ _?"_

 _"What the_ _ **hell**_ _are you doing?" Riley jumped as she looked to the doorway of the kitchen. A very exhausted looking Bucky was learning against the door frame, his hand rubbing his tired eye as he tried to make sense of the scene before him. "It's five-thirty in the morning, Red." He grumbled tiredly. "Is everything okay?"_

 _Riley tensed, hoping in his tired state he wouldn't have noticed. "Yeah, everything's fine." She shifted, trying to play cool._

 _He yawned, getting off the wall and moving further into the kitchen and closer to the red head. "Was it a nightmare?" He asked. "Or are you still sick?"_

 _Laughing nervously, Riley moved her hair behind her ear as she tried to maneuver around him and walk away from this problem all together. "Just couldn't sleep. Getting sick, nightmares, it's just a normal night; right Buck-o?"_

 _That woke him up as his brow arched. Something was up, he knew that as he wrapped his arm around her midsection and gently pulled her back to where she was standing. "What's going on?" He asked._

 _Her heart was now pounding in her chest. "Nothing! Why would something be going on?"_

 _"You just called me '_ _ **Buck-o**_ _'." He wasn't buying it. "What happened, Red?" He pushed again only to be met with a silent red head in front of him. He let out a tired sighed as he tried once more. "You can tell me anything, you know that."_

 _Riley shook her head. "This isn't exactly_ _ **anything**_ _." Stubbornly, she folded her arms across her chest. "It's a lot to process."_

 _Bucky placed his good hand under her chin and gently forced her to look up at him. "Red, whatever it is I'm here for you. It's you and me, remember?"_

 _With a sigh of defeat, her shoulders deflated as she swallowed hard. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She tried again, and like word vomit, the news came out. "I think I'm pregnant." Bucky froze as Riley began to panic all over again. "I might not be! I'm just really late and I can't really figure out when I had it last and this could all be nothing and—" She paused, realizing Bucky's eyes were glossing over. "Are you crying?" He just laughed, shaking his head as he wiped the stray tears from his eyes and pulled her close to his chest. "Have you finally hit the first stages of cabin fever?" She asked in confusion as he kissed the top of her head._

 _"No, Red." He let out another airy laugh. "I'm just happy."_

 _"But I might not even be pregnant!" She tried to argue. "This could all be for nothing!"_

 _"Then we'll head into town today and have it confirmed." He offered as he smiled into her hair. "We're going to be parents."_

 _Riley grumbled. "Terrible assassin parents."_

 _He snorted. "There are far worse out there."_

 _Finally, Riley broke free from his grasp and pulled back from him. She looked at him, fear still in her eyes but at least she was calmer than before. "Are you sure you're okay with this? If I am, then you're really stuck with me."_

 _Bucky rolled his eyes. "I'm more than okay with that." He reassured her. "Let's head into town and we'll go from there, okay? No need to panic, this is good news."_

 _Riley sighed, finally relaxing as she wrapped her arms around Bucky again. "I might be a mom." She said quietly, the realization sinking in. Now she had a whole new reason to panic as the crippling fear of being a horrible mother like Nora began to crawl into her mind._

* * *

 **Present Day...**

Riley found herself lying awake in bed with her mind racing. What had she become? Just another pawn in HYDRA's game; working with them to bring in her metal armed soldier. Riley knew it didn't matter, she was losing either way. Yet, the only comfort in her mind is she knew Bucky would have done the same. At least, she hoped he would. She'd give the world to Emily, she'd give up anything and everything for her daughter and that was exactly what she was doing by handing over Barnes. He'd understand…

The sun barely touched the sky as Riley wandered the Avengers compound. She relished the silence, the short moments she had to herself. The only time she could find a moment to breathe. She had something on her mind, an agenda of her own this morning. Something she hoped wouldn't bite her in the end as she headed for the exit with keys in hand for one of Stark's many sports cars he wouldn't miss. Her moment of freedom cut short as her hand touched the door and a voice spoke behind her. "I wouldn't run if I were you, Ms. Campbell." His voice sent chills down her spine; it was unnervingly calm.

"I'm not running, I need to see something." She said quickly, not turning to face him.

"How do I know you're not going to warn Barnes?"

She turned, her body tensing as she stared down Bryan Atkin. Or rather, whoever Bryan Atkin really was. "Why would I willingly put my daughter's life in danger just to warn him?"

Their staring contest continued as Bryan clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth. "Mind if I join you then?"

"I'd rather you didn't." She said dryly.

"I'm sure you understand it's for my own peace of mind." He stated. "A guarantee, of sorts, that you won't do anything impulsive. I hear you're notorious for it."

Riley pursed her lips. "Wouldn't it look suspicious if you came with me?"

He smirked slightly. "Only if you make it." She hesitated only to receive a sigh of boredom from Bryan. "Shall we?"

"I think I'll just stay here." She replied. The last thing Riley wanted was for Bryan to see her at one of her most vulnerable moments. However, she knew she couldn't sneak out of here without causing any alarm to him. He only proved that by standing here.

"Come now, Riley." He used her name, hearing it only made Riley feel sicker. "Let's get to know each other a little better. I think we got off on the wrong foot."

If looks could kill, Riley's glare would have sent him to a thousand deaths by now. "You're using my daughter as leverage to get the father of my child. That's us 'getting off on the wrong foot'?" At least her sarcasm was in check. He just chuckled, walking closer to Riley and closing the gap between them before attempting to grab the keys to one of Stark's vehicles. Riley pulled away, her glare still menacing as the two stared each other down. "I'm driving." It was a losing battle, she knew that. Riley also knew it was best to stay on his good side; at least, until she got him alone. Maybe there was use for her concealed side arm today after all.

* * *

The ride started off silent until Bryan shifted awkwardly in his seat and began talking ten minutes in. He didn't bother covering up his German accent once the two were alone in the red Ferrari. "I've always wanted a car like this." He said, looking around the interior. "Fast, sleek; total chick magnet as you Americans call it." He was beaming now as he looked at the red head driving.

Riley rolled her eyes in disgust. "Please stop speaking." She said dryly.

"You can't tell me you never wanted a car like this." He said, ignoring her request all together.

Riley bit the inside of her lip, a stress headache was beginning to form as she let out a quick sigh. "No. I wanted an Aston Martin." She answered.

"The Bond car?" Bryan snorted. "It suits you." She didn't reply and returned her attention to the road. A few more moments of silence went by before Bryan continued. "I'm curious. How does one end up with the world's most notorious assassin anyway?"

Riley groaned. "You really don't stop talking do you?"

"It's a simple question."

"No, it's not. It's invasive and frankly annoying." She said. "You don't need to try and act like my friend. You're just making the satisfaction of eventually killing you sweeter."

His laugh caused Riley to stiffen again. "The sweet taste of revenge for all I've put you through?" Bryan asked as he leaned back in his seat comfortably. "Trust me, it's not as delicious as you think."

"Then what is your prerogative in all this?" Riley asked. "Why me; why my family?"

He wasn't smiling anymore, his eyes fixated on the road in front of him. "I don't **want** to kill your daughter. I hope you know that." He said. Hearing those words combined in a sentence about her own daughter only made her grip tighten on the steering wheel. "I'm not into killing children. I know, HYDRA is notorious for being the bad guys, but hear me out—" He began. "Maybe we aren't the bad guys. At least, not all of us. A few bad eggs here and there. Ever stop to think that you are the one in the wrong?"

"All the time…" She mumbled, unsure why she even answered his question to begin with; rhetorical or not.

"In Barnes and Rogers' time, there was a clear president of right and wrong. Things aren't so black and white anymore. The good guys are only good because of a matter in opinion; lest we forget the atrocities they've done."

"And what makes you such a saint?"

He raised an amused brow as he looked at her. "I didn't drop a city on top of people." He had a point there. "No one is truly good, there's a darkness inside everyone. I have my own darkness, I'm not the good guy and I don't pretend to be otherwise." Bryan said. "You're not a good person, Riley. You're not a **bad** person either but, you know your place and you know your choices have consequence no matter what they are. The Avengers? They don't. They think they can just do the things they do without any repercussion."

"I'm not an Avenger." She reminded him. "Neither is Barnes."

"Yes, but, in order to take down a group like the Avengers you must work from the inside out." He said.

It clicked. "You're not using Barnes as a weapon, you're using him to get to Rogers." He just grinned. "So this is just some crazy HYDRA plot to take out the Avengers, but why?"

"You still think this is all about HYDRA?" Now Riley was confused. "Sure, I was once a HYDRA commander but, that's not why I'm doing this."

"Then what's the point? Why try and take out the Avengers all by yourself?"

Bryan smirked. "So _now_ you're interested in what I have to say?" He chuckled before losing his smirk and becoming serious. "I wasn't lying to Ross when I said I had a wife. However, we never fought on opposite sides. Like me, she was a HYDRA agent; she worked under your mother's operative." Riley cringed at the mention of Nora. "She was at the HIVE when Barnes stormed in on his murderous rampage to get you back."

Riley swallowed hard, a twinge of guilt in her gut. Maybe in the end she was to blame for Bryan's revenge. "That has nothing to do with the Avengers."

"No, it doesn't. My wife and I understood working for HYDRA meant our lives were in constant danger. That's why when HYDRA fell we sent our young son to Sokovia with her parents." Riley knew exactly where this story was going. "You think I'm such a terrible person for taking your daughter; think of it from my position. I'm the kind of Father who would do anything for their son. It was easy to see that you would do the same for your daughter, even if it meant going against the Father of your child."

That feeling of nausea didn't subside as Riley exhaled. "That doesn't make what you're doing justifiable. You of all people should know what I'm going through."

For the first time, Bryan Atkin looked at Riley with sincerity. A look she couldn't erase as he said something that resounded with her. "You can't tell me you wouldn't do the same for Emily." He wasn't wrong and that only proved to Riley that she wasn't the good person she hoped to be. "Get me Barnes, Ms. Campbell. I don't want you to suffer the way I have."

"If you don't want to harm her, don't." Riley tried to reason.

"I said I didn't want to, that doesn't mean I won't." He reminded her as the car rounded the corner to the familiar field. She silently drove the car forward and to the burnt and charred remains of what once was her home. "Where are we?" Bryan asked as Riley unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Home." She answered truthfully as she got out of the car and wandered over to the ashy skeleton structure of the house. She didn't care that he got out of the car to join her, in fact, right now it was all about one thing as she stared at what was once home.

Bryan stood next to Riley now, looking at the remains. Even though the two were looking at the same exact thing, they were seeing something completely different. "I remember when this order came out. My wife and I had just returned to our posts after the event in Sokovia. She mentioned Nora was going after you and the soldier." Bryan said as he realized where they were. "This was your Granddad's farm, correct?"

"I grew up here." She said. "Learned to shoot my first gun here, broke my arm once falling out of the large oak tree over there." She said nodding to the far right tree. "This was a place I called home. This was where my family lived. What I thought was a normal childhood was really just their way of raising me to be a killer. They raised me to stop Nora, not if but when she came." She was mindlessly reaching for her side arm. "And I did stop her because it's what I do. It's what I was trained for." Her hand grazed her side arm now, her heart racing in her chest. "Like I'm going to do to you."

He wasn't stupid. He knew Riley would take any opportunity she could to end him. As impulsive as she was, that was at least something predictable. "Just remember, if I don't report in to my contacts, they have the orders to do what needs to be done." He said darkly, Riley's hand moved away from her hand gun now. The two stood silently as the sun was beginning to rise now over the farm house. "I still think you would have made a great successor to your mother."

"You didn't stop talking all the way here, can you at least let me have this moment?" She snapped. Bryan silently agreed as Riley continued to stare at the ruins of her childhood. Granddad raised her for war, he had always said that. Something she just couldn't escape and in this moment, Riley understood that completely.

* * *

Slowly, Riley moved forward through the rubble and ash. She carefully stepped around burnt debris on the ground and made her way onto the only surviving part of the house. She walked through what was once the entrance of the home and continued down the hallway, stopping at the doorway of the kitchen. Her mind flashed to the day all of this had happened; the fire, HYDRA, Barnes. All of it. She remembered the glow of the fire in the dark as she fired her Dragunov in the night; killing as many HYDRA agents as she could. The same Dragunov she hadn't touched in over a year, she couldn't bring herself to.

She began to remember the body in the living area as she walked closer to what remained of it. She didn't know whose it was, Nan or Aunt Bea's. If she had to guess, it was Bea. The memory burned into his brain; something she'd never forget. Her head began to hurt, a tension forming as she shut her eyes tightly. She couldn't relapse, not here, not in front of him. "Painful memories just make it worse." Riley snapped out of it, looking to her right to see Bryan had followed her but kept his distance. "They wiped your memory, correct?" She didn't answer. "Nora was quite the fan of it; she did invent the chair after all. My wife used to say that anyone that went through that particular procedure found themselves with intense memory overloads whenever they'd stumble upon something important. A trigger, I guess."

"Does it ever go away?"

Bryan shrugged. "Different results for different cases. HYDRA didn't exactly offer therapy to those it was used on." He eyed her carefully as she took a few exaggerated breaths in. "I gather this happens a lot?"

"Ever since I got my memory back."

Bryan knew with Riley's mental state, his window of opportunity was running thin. Who knew if she would relapse and blow the whole mission? "Your mind needs some form of recalibration then. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make a call." Bryan had reached for a small, throwaway phone in his pocket and began dialing. Riley heard the tones on the key strokes but kept her focus on the remains in front of her. It was better to just pretend he wasn't here at all. Of course, it was hard to keep that focus once he began speaking. "I need them provoked." He said stiffly. "Make a move." And just like that, his conversation was over and his phone back in his pocket.

"What's going to happen?" Riley asked, hoping the answer wouldn't be anything too disastrous. She knew better.

He smirked slightly. "I need to move things along; get Rogers out of hiding. I'm running on a tight schedule here." Riley didn't say anything as she shuffled awkwardly on her feet. "We should head back soon, the Avengers are going to need to suit up."

Riley felt helpless. All this information she had on Bryan, all these plans she had access to and yet here she was; useless. She couldn't say anything, she couldn't act against this. Even if she wanted to stop him right now with one quick shot to the temple, she couldn't. Not while Emily was in danger.

He tried to reason with her, show her he wasn't the only bad guy in the mix. That she was just collateral in his need to get revenge. Riley knew better than that. There was no leveling with this monster, there was no seeing 'eye-to-eye'. She knew what he was at the end of the day and so did he. However, that lingering feeling that the two really weren't all that different played in her mind like a broken record when they headed back to the compound.

* * *

Like he said, Bryan had an answer for everything as the two walked into the base. He explained after their session the two took a drive to the old farm house so Riley could get some form of closure. Riley swore if she rolled her eyes any harder they'd get stuck in the back of her head. Luckily for Bryan, he didn't have to be too charming as news had come out that there was an explosion at a conference in Vienna. Riley had a bad feeling that that was what the phone call was about. It didn't matter, it was time to suit up and head to Austria. This was her last chance to bring Barnes in, she could feel it.

Riley went to her room to get ready, closing the door behind her and staring at her bed. Her heart thudded in her chest as she slowly got down on all fours and reached under the bed, pulling out a very familiar duffle bag. Carefully, she unzipped the bag and stared down at the very old Dragunov sniper rifle. "Grandad, give me strength." She muttered, zipping up the bag and swinging it over her shoulders. Riley Campbell was going to catch her Ghost one last time.

* * *

 **Final Thoughts:** Thanks again for reading! Remember to review. We have a lot more crazy stuff ahead of us.


	14. Empty Promises

**_Author's Note:_** Hey all, sorry for the delay. Life has been busy and all that junk. This story is still on its way to being completed, it's just taking a bit. So hang on. Make sure you're following the story to get alerts when the next chapter is posted!

I also plan on rewriting some earlier chapters to adjust the story accordingly with the Civil War movie. I'll let you know when that happens.

I do want to let you know, there is a **_trigger warning_** in effect for this chapter. If you are prone to panic attacks from hearing about panic attacks, please note that it does happen in this chapter.

Also, reviews help tremendously with inspiring the writing process. So please remember to review.

I plan on posting the next chapter next Friday so, leave me something nice to come back to!

And finally!

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Marvel. I write this story for fun…. Even if the plot tears me apart inside!

* * *

 _ **Brazil 1.5 Years Ago...**_

 _He immediately noticed the color pale from her cheeks as she stared down at the third test to come back positive. There was no denying it now; they were expecting. However,_ _Riley_ _seemed less than eager in comparison. "Well, I think that settles it." Bucky said, running his hand through his hair as she eyed the last test in the package._

 _"Maybe one more?"_

 _His chuckle was low, she was being ridiculous. How many tests did they need? "Red, I think it's safe to say we're going to be parents."_

 _She shook her head. "Maybe we should go to the doctor? These could all be contaminated. The heat could have altered the results—"_

 _Bucky placed his good hand over her mouth, preventing her from talking. "I think this is something more than pregnancy jitters, doll."_ _Riley_ _lowered her gaze to anything but the beautiful and dangerous blue eyes in front of her. "What's really going on?"_

 _Riley_ _huffed, pulling away from Bucky as she paced aimlessly. "What if I'm not good enough?" She began. "I mean, look at me Buck. I'm still having relapses and I have my own Mother to thank for that. How the hell am I going to ever be a good Mother when my comparison to go on was a crazy HYDRA leader?"_

 _It all made sense then and Bucky sighed in aggravation. Not towards_ _Riley_ _but to how she could ever think she'd end up like Nora. "Red, you weren't raised by her. You turned out nothing like her."_

 _"Then why does it feel like she's won and I'm slowly turning to that insanity?" Bucky walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her lovingly and holding her close to his chest. She stood there, not wrapping her arms around him but letting her head rest against his chest. His heart beat soothing her racing mind as she exhaled. "What if I fail our baby?"_

 _"You won't fail our baby." Bucky said as if that were the most ridiculous thing she could have said. "Listen, Red. We have both done horrible things to people, innocent and guilty a like. We aren't the good guys but, we aren't the bad guys either. I have faith that you and I will be good parents. Maybe not the best parents, we're going to make mistakes. I just have a feeling you'll be a great mom."_

 _"What makes you say that?"_

 _He smiled. "Because you're so sure you're going to do it all wrong. As long as you know you're going to make mistakes and that both of us are going to make mistakes, then you're going to be a good mom."_

 _Riley_ _relaxed a little in Bucky's arms, finally wrapping her arms loosely around his waist. "We are going to be parents." She said, sounding more horrified than relieved._

 _"Is it custom for the dad or mom to buy the baby their first gun?" Bucky teased as_ _Riley_ _smacked his side quickly. He simply laughed in response as he kissed the top of her head. "We're going to be just fine, Red. I promise."_

 _"Stop making promises, Ghost."_

 _"Not as long as I intend to keep them."_

* * *

Riley was perched inside one of the largest airports located in Schkeuditz, Germany. The Leipzig/Halle Airport, it was **_huge_** and had many places for Riley to stake out and hide. The rest of the team had assembled elsewhere, knowing that Rogers and the team would show up here to fight Crossbones (if he even showed up). It was a gamble, and Riley had an idea her being out of sight was more on Starks part to keep her out of the fight.

Stark wasn't stupid, he knew something was going on. Something far bigger than he could have ever imagined but, he was determined to keep Riley safe. At least, to the best of his abilities. Riley was a wild card, he never knew what she was going to do next. She was always impulsive but lately, it was much worse. Little did he know, she had a driving force behind it.

Her eyes wandered to the Dragunov sitting idly to her right, leaning against the window of her hiding place. Everything was wrong; everything had gone so wrong. Her daughter was in danger, she had no idea where Emily was. The man who did, her soulmate, was on the wrong side of things. Or perhaps, maybe he was on the right side of things. It didn't matter anymore. Riley was caught in Bryan Atkin's web. She was nothing more than what she had struggled with for so long… she was the bad guy. After fighting for so long to not ever be on the bad side of things ever again, she found herself leading the parade. And she was miserable.

The more she thought about it, the more conflicted she became. Emmet Campbell had raised her to fight. All this time, she had thought it was fighting for the greater good. What he really had trained her for was to fight when the time came; when Nora would inevitably return. It was never about good and evil; even Bryan had said that. Nothing was that black and white anymore. Her Granddad was not the good person she thought he was; but that was just it, he was good in her eyes. She knew him as the kind hearted man that helped raise her, not the man who worked for HYDRA. The good and bad were perfectly balanced in that man. Why couldn't she have that balance? Why couldn't she be good?

It didn't matter now, Riley was on the wrong side of things and there was no way out. Well, there was _one_ way out. Capture Bucky and hand him over to whatever mercy Bryan Atkin had in store for him. What choice had she? Endanger her daughter or give up Bucky.

Static came through her earpiece as Stark's voice came through. "They're here." He said. Riley immediately grabbed her Dragunov and aimed it out the window. Her eyes scanning through the scope to see Steve Rogers walking out from hiding. "Remember, we are here to arrest them. Let's try and keep this civil." Iron Man came into view then, confronting Steve. The battle was about to begin.

* * *

"She won't be in plain sight." Bucky warned, his eyes scanning the airport for the most opportune spot for Riley to snipe from. "She'll be up there somewhere." He nodded to one of the top lookout points.

"She isn't going to come willingly." Pietro said, moving his head side to side. "She's going to fight."

Bucky smirked. "I know. We need to get her out of here by any means necessary." He looked at Pietro, his expression immediately dropping to a more threatening one. "That doesn't mean hurt her."

"I just want your permission if I have to knock her out, you won't try and kill me." Bucky was about to object, however the atmosphere changed drastically when Sam flew out to help Steve. The fight was beginning. "We are running out of time, Soldier."

Bucky let out a low growl, knowing he had no other choice. "Fine, but only if necessary." He would regret that later as Pietro winked before speeding off. He couldn't focus on that now, he had to go out and help Steve. This fight was a distraction, Crossbones never showed up. Steve had said that when they first arrived. This only confirmed that someone else was pulling the strings here, getting the Avengers all in one place at one time to fight. It was all smoke and mirrors, and Bucky had a bad feeling. Now wasn't the time, he needed Pietro to get Riley to safety and get his group out of this mess without losing anyone. ' _Easier said than done.'_ He thought as he raced out to join the fight that was growing.

* * *

Riley was a deadly wild card for Team Stark; her sniper riffle loaded with tranquilizers that could take down anyone not wearing armor, or if shot where any skin was showing. For any other sniper, that would be a challenge. Not for Riley; she never missed. Her fight, however, wasn't with the other Avengers. Her fight was with one particular rogue assassin. Her eye peering through her scope, she scanned the battleground as Avenger went after Avenger, looking for the man with the metal arm. Once he came into view, Riley steadied herself. Her heart thudded in her chest rapidly as she inhaled deeply. It was now or never. She pulled back on the loading mechanism, readying her first and only shot she would need to take out Sergeant Barnes. With her finger on the trigger, she pulled back.

In those few milliseconds between firing the gun, her aim was knocked off horrendously. Not by her own doing, she was never that clumsy. However, the speeding force that knocked into her, was to blame. With a thud, Riley landed on her side. She knew exactly what was happening as she forced herself up. "Pietro!" She shouted, reaching for her sidearm. She wouldn't kill him, she'd just injure him enough to slow him down. He couldn't get in her way, not when so much was at stake.

He knocked into her again, forcing her hand off the sidearm and knocking it a few feet from her. She sat up, fury in her eyes as she looked around for the speedster. He stopped running, a mocking smirk on his lips as he looked at Riley. "You need to come with me, Princess."

Riley glared. "You don't know what you're doing. I have to do this."

"No you don't. You need to come with us." He said. "You're in danger."

She stood up again, eyeing the Dragunov that wasn't too far from her. She knew she'd never reach the handgun in time. "Barnes tell you that?" She asked dryly. "I can't come with you." Her head screaming otherwise; she needed to go with them. She just couldn't.

"He gave me permission to use force." Pietro warned. "Don't make me." He saw her reaching for the sniper rifle. He groaned. "Please don't hate me." She immediately went for the sniper rifle, it being just out of reach as Pietro knocked her hard enough into the wall. Everything was blurring around her as Pietro apologized; picking her up bridal style and slinging her Dragunov over his shoulder.

As the world blurred more around her from the speed that Pietro was running and her probable concussion, she tried her hardest to stay awake; to fight it. ' _Don't pass out. Emily needs you…'_ She thought. It didn't matter. She was out moments later.

* * *

 _Riley's eyes snapped open as she stared at the warm lit living room of their home in Brazil. The sound of Emily laughing comforting her as she sat along in the living room. She inhaled deeply, exhaling through her nose as she sat back on the couch._

 _"Hey, you're up." Riley turned to see Bucky walk into the living room and sit down beside her on the couch. "You've been out for a while."_

 _Riley smiled. "I guess I'm just really tired."_

 _"Guess so." Bucky agreed, leaning over and kissing her lovingly. "Emily just went down for a nap." Something changed in Riley, hearing the name of her daughter sent a cold chill down her spine. Bucky looked concerned as Riley's features dropped. "What is it?"_

 _Riley shook her head. "I'm not sure…" She said, forcing herself to break away from Bucky and get up off the couch. "I feel like I just need to check on Emily."_

 _Bucky chuckled. "She's fine, I just put her down."_

 _"I need to see for myself." Riley said. "I don't know why, I just do." Bucky just shrugged as Riley left the room and left the living room and headed down the hallway. The warm light following her as she continued down the exceptionally long hall before stopping in front of Emily's door. That feeling of dread returning as she slowly opened the door and stepped into the bright room. Riley walked forward and to the baby crib slowly, the room turning dark and col as she noticed the crib was completely empty. "No…" She said, panic rising in her as she turned and ran out of the room._

 _The sound of Emily crying echoed throughout the hallway as Riley kept running down it. She saw him in the distance, Bryan Atkin, holding Emily in his arms as she cried. He had her, he won. Riley couldn't save her… it was too late._

* * *

James Buchannan Barnes was almost too surprised that Pietro had done exactly what he had asked. He captured Riley and put her in one of the empty cells in the base. There was one large one way window and only one way out. He didn't want to keep Riley in there for long, however, until she woke up and accepted where she was it was the only option.

One thing, he was not too keen about, was how hard Pietro had hit into her. A bruise was forming on her cheek, luckily not broken.

He sat on the cot in the room, Riley's head resting on his lap as he gently ran his hand through her hair. She was safe now, she was with him. Everything would be okay now. He could go get Emily and the three of them could leave and go back to Brazil. At least, that's what he had hoped.

Bucky screwed up royally, he knew that. This was his attempt to make things better. He knew Riley was too stubborn to come back on her own. He also knew Riley had it in her head to never be the bad guy. Unfortunately, they weren't the good guys either.

The group was missing a few on their return to the base. Wanda, Sam and Clint were captured in an attempt to help Bucky and Steve flee. It worked, but at what cost? They'd break them out eventually. Bucky couldn't really think of that now, he had to focus on his family. That was when Riley began to stir.

She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the fluorescent lighting above her. Her vision began to clear as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. She turned her head to face the man whose lap she was lying on. She stared at him for a few moments as the fogginess in her head cleared. "Hey, Red." He said softly.

That was when the panic set in. What should have been comforting and welcoming was wrong. This was all wrong. Riley immediately sat up, her face flush as she stood up. She wobbled on her feet, trying to gain her balance as her hands found her hair; gripping tightly. Her breathing erratic as her heart raced. "No." She mumbled inaudibly before beginning to shout. "I can't be here!" She exclaimed. "No, no, no, no!"

Bucky immediately stood and raced over to his panicking red head. "What's going on?" This wasn't a relapse, this was a panic attack. This was sheer and utter panic and Bucky could feel it in every fiber of his being. "Riley?"

She gasped for air as she tried to make coherent sentences. She couldn't as she pushed Bucky away, shaking her head as she stumbled for the door. Riley began banging on the door, knowing it wouldn't open. She was trapped.

Unable to understand what was happening, Bucky tried again, this time a little firmer. He walked over to Riley, forcing her to turn around and grabbed her forearms, forcing them to her side as she continued to panic. "Red, what is happening?" He asked again.

"He's going to—" She couldn't even bring herself to say it. "I have to—"

"Red!" He shouted. He wasn't angry with her by any means, he was worried.

That was when the tears started flowing. "I can't be here!" She said again. "He's going to hurt her."

"Who is going to hurt _who?_ "

"He knows where Emily is." She tried again. "He's going to hurt her."

Now Bucky was angry. "Who is going to hurt Emily?"

Riley shook her head wildly. "There's no time, Buck! We have to get her!"

Her legs felt weak and her knees began to buckle. He slid down the door with her, pulling her close to his chest as she sobbed. He tried to soothe her has best he could but, he was still missing major pieces to this puzzle. "I need you to tell me everything, Red." He said softly. "What happened?"

"If I left—" She sobbed. "Or told anyone, he would kill Emily." She let it all out now. "I had to bring you to him, otherwise he would kill Emily."

Then it clicked, then everything made enough sense for Bucky to put some pieces together. He picked Riley up in his arms and walked over to the one way mirror. He knew Steve was listening, it didn't take long before the door opened and Steve walked in. "Who is going after Emily?" Steve asked.

Bucky shrugged as he held Riley. "No idea but, we have to get to the farm. Clint's family could be in danger too."

"I'll alert Fury. Get ready to leave immediately." Steve said, racing out of the cell.

Bucky wasted no time as he carried Riley towards the launch bay. It didn't take long for a certain speedster to join them. "What happened?" He asked.

"We need to go." Bucky said sharply as they entered the launch bay. Bucky ignoring any and all stares from bystanders as they went. "My daughter is in danger."

Pietro stopped walking, trying to piece together what he had just heard. It didn't matter, he knew what he had to do. "I'm coming to!" He offered as he caught up to them again.

"This isn't a regular mission. We are here to kill if we have to." Bucky warned him as he boarded the first available jet. Bucky placed Riley on a nearby seat, kneeling down in front of her. "We're going to get Emily now." He said to her. "It's going to be okay."

By now, Riley had stopped sobbing. Tears still fell freely down her cheek but, she was a little more coherent. "His name is Commanding Officer Bryan Atkin." She mumbled. "He works for HYDRA and is hiding among the Avengers. They don't know."

Bucky began to realize more and more just how serious this situation was. "He's the one who knows where Emily is?"

"He knows a lot more than that." Riley added, wiping her eyes. "He knows about Nora, about me. He wants you, I don't know why."

Bucky vowed angrily. "We will stop him."

"Any new information?" Steve Rogers asked as he boarded the jet. He glanced at Bucky, then to Riley, then to a very concerned Pietro.

"We were right, there is a HYDRA operative among the Avengers. No one knows about it, he's the one who knows about Emily." Bucky said, standing up now. "We need to go."

Steve nodded. "I need to tell Stark."

"What, why?" Bucky asked.

"The HYDRA agent might still be among them. Maybe Stark can stop him." Steve offered as he wandered to the front of the jet, preparing for takeoff.

Bucky turned his attention back to Riley, she had stopped crying altogether now. She was stoic, numb and lost. "I promise you, we are going to get Emily and go home."

She shook her head. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

Bucky said nothing as the jet engines started and began takeoff procedures. He had to win back Riley, he had to save Emily. As the jet took off, he began to doubt if he even could.

* * *

 **Final Thought:** Don't hate me. It's going to get really bumpy from here on out. Remember to review and see you next time!


	15. The Winter Soldier & Deadshot

**Author's Note:** Oh hey there. Welcome back. I decided to update early this week and leave you guys with the craziest chapter later this week. We are heading towards the part I've been dreading for a while now so… don't hate me.

Now onto my favorite part!

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Slytherin Studios: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying and I personally want to apologize for the long delay and what's coming up in the next chapters!

JLBriggs: Oh there is a special place in hell for Bryan Atkin. He should be running for his life! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

And you know the drill!

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** Remember that one time I owned Marvel? Yeah, I don't either. I write for fun and own nothing except my OC and other random OC's.

* * *

Steve Rogers knew he was alone in the cockpit of the jet. The remaining three passengers on the jet with him were in their own worlds right now. How did it get so bad? Steve was a positive man but right now, he feared the worst. If anything happened to that little girl, he knew that meant something awful for his best friend and Riley.

This war turned everyone against each other. His friends were captured and sent to the Raft; Colonel Rhodes had been severely injured during this time. He knew his friendship with Tony was all but gone at this point. He also felt like he was losing Bucky but in a different way. Riley and Bucky were being forced down a path he had hoped they'd get away from. A path that brought out the assassins in them, a code he personally could not follow. He knew if things went south at the farm, there was no going back for Sergeant Barnes and Riley Campbell.

What could he do about it? Well, Steve Rogers did the only thing he could do in that moment, he called Tony Stark. "Call to surrender?" Stark spat on the other end. Yes, things were really rocky.

Steve sighed. "No, Tony. This is important."

Tony could hear the distress in Steve's voice. His arrogance shrinking as he was afraid to ask knowing a certain red head on their team went missing after the fight. "What is it?"

"Commanding Officer Bryan Atkin." The moment Steve spoke those words, Tony knew immediately what was coming. "He's a HYDRA operative, hiding under the pretense of the United States Government."

Stark was angry. Stark was angry he was unable to uncover the truth. He knew Atkin had way too much interest in the daughter of a notorious HYDRA operative. There had to have been something. Riley was in clear and present danger, and Stark did nothing to stop that. "That's not all, is it?"

"He was holding the safety of Emily over Riley's head, in an attempt to bring Bucky in." Steve said. "He knows where Emily is and he's going to hurt her if we don't get to her first."

Stark sighed. "I'll do what I can here with Ross, expose Atkin for what he's done. Hopefully we can get this guy before he does too much damage."

Steve knew he could count on Tony, even after all that has happened. One of their own was in danger now and that was enough to bring them together for the time being. "We are going to Barton's home, that's where Emily is. I can't guarantee what we're going to find."

Stark grimly understood. "Contact me if you need me."

"Of course." And that was that. Now Steve had to take the group to the farm, in the back of his mind hoping no one would have to die today on either side.

* * *

Bucky and Riley silently examined their weapons, Pietro watched mesmerized from a distance as the two assassins grabbed the heavy artillery and loaded each gun like it were second nature. The two were ready for the worst, and that scared Pietro.

Riley was having trouble adjusting the strap on her belt, Bucky silently offered to help. She accepted it, with not much to say on her part. "Red." Bucky finally said, that single word resonating through Riley. "I'm so sorry, for everything."

"You took our daughter from me." Riley began. "I know you thought it was the right choice but, I can't not be mad at you for it."

"If I had just worked harder to make you come with me—"

"Someone had to clear our names, Buck."

Bucky let out a low growl as he finished adjusting the strap. He turned Riley to face him, his hands on her shoulders. "Red, we are not the good guys." He was stern with her, he needed to be. "We never were, we never will be. All we can do now is just be good parents." Riley was about to speak; Bucky continued anyway. "I screwed up, alright? We both screwed up. We can be mad at each other all we want but we can't let that get in the way of rescuing Emily."

Bucky searched Riley's face for any answer, any emotion, **_something_**. "I just want our life back." She said quietly.

His shoulders falling slightly, Bucky pulled Riley to his chest. He held her close not wanting to ever let go of her ever again. The way she felt in his arms, the smell of her hair; she was his everything and he knew he was so close to losing her. He broke his promise to her. He promised once things got heated, they'd all go home. That never happened. It was a fault on both sides. "Riley, I love you. I love you so much and I know everything is wrong right now. I want our life back too and we will get it back. I will do everything in my power to keep you and Emily safe."

He felt Riley relax in his arms as she loosely wrapped her own arms around his midsection. "I love you too, Ghost." She mumbled. "That doesn't mean I have to like you right now."

He let out an airy and somewhat relieved chuckle. That sounded more like his red head. "I know, doll. I know."

She felt right being in his arms again, regardless of how angry she was with him or the situation at hand. She needed him just as much as he needed her. Their daughter was in danger and they had to put aside their hostility for now. They had to get Emily and run far away from all of this.

"I hate to break up this cute moment." Pietro said cautiously. "We're landing. Steve said the radar picked up on multiple heat signals from the house."

Riley pulled away from Bucky, the two of them silently confirming to each other that hostiles were imminent. "Are you ready?"

Riley grabbed her Dragunov, checking the bullets before nodding. "You're right." She said. "I'm not the good guy."

"You're not a bad guy either." He softly reminded her.

The jet began to lower out of the sky, the darkness covering them as they landed a little into the woods. "But I am a mother scorned, and I don't expect to let anyone live."

"No one's going to hold that against you, doll." Bucky said, grabbing his own assault rifle and looking at Pietro. "Don't let Steve get in our way." He looked at Riley, nodding for the exit ramp. The two checked their weapons one last time and headed into the night.

* * *

They made it to the clearing, just out of the woods and enough to see the Barton's house in the distance. There were several men standing outside the house with loaded guns, awaiting for their arrival. That didn't stop them as they walked out of the woods; deadly silent as they went undetected until Bucky nodded to Riley.

Lifting her Dragunov, Riley took the first shot. Headshot. The rest of the hostiles began to panic as they raised their weapons and looking for where the shot had come from. Riley took another shot as Bucky ran forward and charged towards the nearest hostile. Taking that enemy down with a few quick blasts of his assault rifle, he shot at another near enemy.

More hostiles ran out of the house, Riley took more shots from afar as Bucky swept through the nearby enemies. Shooting and stabbing as he went.

That was when the angry Steve Rogers came out, ready to stop his friends from making bad decisions. He wasn't here to kill anyone, he was here to save Emily. Throwing his shield at a distant enemy that had crept up on Bucky. Bucky turned to see Captain America as the shield bounced back to him. He nodded quickly before returning to the fight.

Riley had gotten closer now, taking out her handgun and hitting deadly accurate shots on anyone that got in her way as she walked closer to the house. Her plan was to get inside and find Emily, Ghost had the hostiles, Steve and Pietro were just backup in her eyes.

Pietro circled the perimeter, knocking out operatives as he went. He was not one for killing either, hopefully he could take out as many enemies as possible before the assassins got to them.

Riley got to the front porch first, shooting a man that ran out the front door, point blank in the face. He dropped immediately as she entered the main floor. She listened for a moment, not hearing any noise to give away anyone's position. Then, the footstep upstairs alerted her. Someone was up there. Riley quickly headed for the stairs and cautiously made her way up them. She headed towards the end of the hallway to the same room she had stayed in when they first fought Ultron. It seemed so long ago, Bucky was still a liability back then. Now here they were.

She entered the back bedroom, the room appeared to be empty until she was pushed down from the side. She quickly regained her balance to see Crossbones. "This is gonna be good." He said tauntingly. Riley went to raise her gun, only to have Crossbones smack it out of her hand. He charged for her, punching and kicking. Riley tried to defend herself, receiving blows to the stomach, ribs and one to the face. "This'll be too easy." Crossbones mocked. "Taking out the girlfriend of the Winter Soldier. He won't even recognize you when I'm through with you."

"Try again." A voice came from behind. Crossbones turned just as a metal fist made contact with his face. He stumbled backwards. Riley, taking this time to get back on her feet, quickly stood and kicked as hard as she could. Her boot colliding with his back as he was forced forward again into an angry Bucky Barnes. No, Riley realized. In this moment he was not Bucky, he was not Ghost, he was the Winter Soldier. She knew that as his fist connected again with his face.

The three now in a heated battle, back and forth. Riley and Bucky conquering and dominating the fight as they threw the hardest punches they could. Their motivation being one thing and one thing only, Emily.

Crossbones landed on his knees, the wind knocked out of him as he spit up blood. Riley picked up her handgun and stood next to Bucky. The two staring down at Crossbones. Before anyone could do anything, Steve ran in. "We found Laura and the kids. They were locked in the basement, everyone is okay."

"Emily?" Bucky asked, not taking his eyes off Crossbones.

"No." Steve regretfully said.

Crossbones began to laugh, an airy chuckle escaping his lips. "It's too late."

"Where is she?" Riley growled.

He sneered. "Like I'd ever tell you."

Bucky punched him across the face, causing Steve to flinch slightly. "Where is she?"

Crossbones laughed again. "I do have a message for you, **_Soldier_**. Zemo sends his kindest regards."

"Zemo?" Riley asked, the name unfamiliar to her.

Bucky felt ill in that moment, he hadn't heard that name in forever. "We have to find Emily, **now.** "

Riley didn't like the look on Bucky's face. "Does this Zemo guy have Emily?"

"I have a feeling." He looked at Crossbones again. "Where did he go?"

"Go home, Soldier." He laughed manically. "Go home."

Bucky knew exactly what he meant. "We need to go to Siberia." He looked at Steve. "Get Stark and meet us there."

"What about him?" Riley asked.

"We bring him in." Steve said. "Stark and I will take him to the Raft."

Steve and Bucky began to plan their next move, Crossbones, however, began to zoom in on Riley. "She's cute, your daughter. She has your red hair." He spoke low. "I wonder what the daughter of the most notorious assassin and granddaughter of the one of the highest ranking HYDRA members would turn out to be under our banner. She'll make a great HYDRA agent, it's in her blood."

Riley raised her gun, Steve noticed and shouted. "No, Riley!" She didn't hesitate pulling the trigger. The bullet passing through his skull and hitting on the far wall as blood splattered everywhere. Crossbones' body falling limp as he toppled over.

Bucky and Steve were frozen, staring at Riley as she lowered her gun and turned. "We need to go." She said, walking out the door.

"You sure this is a good idea, Buck?" Steve asked.

Bucky nodded. "A lot of bad things are going to happen if Zemo is in Siberia. We can't be the good guys right now." Bucky knew something yet, he held his cards to his chest and Steve knew he wouldn't have enough time to get an answer.

Steve, as much as he didn't like it, nodded to the door. "I will contact you once I hear from Stark. Keep your earpieces in at all times and keep us updated." Bucky said nothing as he swiftly left the room to follow his unpredictable red head. They were in a war, Zemo had called them out. Now they were going to end this.

* * *

"You can't be serious." Tony Stark was beside himself as he stood in the main command area of The Raft. General Ross had a stone cold expression as Tony stared in disbelief. "I'm coming to you with information that Commanding Officer Bryan Atkin is a HYDRA operative and you won't do anything."

"It's not that I won't do anything, Tony." Ross said. "You have no proof. I can't go off the word of Steve Rogers. Whom, might I add, is a wanted criminal."

Stark threw his arms up in the air. "A criminal who has done so much for this country and the world. He's the most honest man I've ever know and you're going to tell me that taking the word of some random man is more important here!"

Ross sighed. "Stark, get me proof and I will go after Commanding Officer Atkin."

"It could be too late by then."

"Then you better hurry." Ross said, dismissing Stark. He would hear no more of this accusation. If Stark could find proof, then he'd look into it. For now, it was all speculation and nothing more.

Stark left the main command area in a fury. He knew there was nothing else to be done here. Ross was not going to help him, matters had to be taken into his own hands.

As he stormed out towards his helicopter, he noticed a jet had been stationed near him. He stood there staring for a moment as he tried to calm down. "I believe you." Stark turned around, T'Challa had followed him back to the landing pad undetected.

"What are you doing here?" Stark asked.

"I had a few things to take care of." T'Challa said before returning the conversation to the main point. "But I believe you. I have met this Bryan Atkin in passing; there is something off about that man. If Steve Rogers believes he is HYDRA then it is worth looking in to."

Stark sighed. "There's nothing we can do about it."

"We should go get proof." T'Challa suggested. "Where is Rogers now?"

"Riley's daughter has been taken by HYDRA. I haven't heard if they found her but, we have to do something."

"Then we will do something." T'Challa said.

"Your highness, if you do anything you could be subject to arrest." Stark warned.

T'Challa just smirked. "You forget, I have diplomatic immunity to any US Government affairs."

Stark couldn't help but reciprocate the smirk. "Then let's go help them."

* * *

Riley and Bucky wasted no time boarding the jet, Bucky taking the pilot seat as he punched in the coordinated for the HYDRA base in Siberia. Something he had so desperately wished was erased from his mind. Somethings were just permanently burned in him.

They were off on this part of their mission alone, Steve and Pietro staying behind for now until they heard from Stark. Also to make sure there were no more HYDRA agents lurking around. Now it was Riley and Bucky, alone on their first mission together in so long. It was almost funny, in an ironic sort of way, how at the beginning of all this they were yearning to go on another mission. Now, they got their wish but at what cost?

"Who is he?" Riley asked softly, coming up behind Bucky as the jet rose into the air. "Zemo?"

Bucky's brows knotted together, an immediate distaste for the name as soon as he heard it. "He was in charge of me." He said trying to detach himself for those memories. "In my later years as the Winter Soldier, I was brought to the Siberia base. Helmet Zemo was in charge of making sure I was kept under their control. One of the machines Nora so graciously built is there. It's a more extreme version of the one you were in. This one was meant to brainwash to the full extent. Zemo made sure of that."

"So why is he after us?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Bucky growled. "I'm their weapon and you're the daughter to one of their greatest leaders."

Riley sighed, moving around Bucky to sit in the co-pilot seat. "This is never going to end, is it?" She asked, faithlessly. "They're never going to stop."

"Not until we end it." Bucky said, looking over at Riley now. He watched her fiddle with her hands as she sat there, staring straight forward at the night sky. "We are going to end this, Red." He assured her.

"Remember when Emily was born, we made a promise—" She paused. " _I_ made a promise that I would never be anything like Nora. That Emily would be kept so far away from all this."

Bucky sighed. "C'mon Red. You didn't fail her. We can still make things right. You're nothing like Nora."

Riley looked down at her lap. "I'm sorry I never got better. Bryan said that it's different for everyone. When they wiped my mind, I could experience relapses for days, months, years. I'm sorry I never got over it."

Bucky reached over, taking Riley's hand and held it. "It was my fault for not getting you the help you needed. I wanted so desperately to be your saving grace, like you were mine. I'm sorry I didn't do more."

Riley bit her lip. "I would have done the same. If the roles were reversed and you were still relapsing."

Bucky squeezed her hand a little tighter. "Let's not live in 'what if's', Red." She relaxed a little more in her chair. "Whatever happens now, happens. Just know I love you."

He was right, they couldn't like in the 'what if' anymore. They had to live in the now. Whatever happened from this moment on, they had to live with that. "After all of this is over—" Riley began. "I think it's time we finally got married."

Bucky was grinning now as he looked at Riley again, this time with amusement on his face. "What happened to never getting married?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't make me regret this, Ghost."

He chuckled. "I was hoping to be one to ask you but, yes. A thousand times yes, let's get married."

Riley squeezed his hand again. "First, we get Emily back."

Bucky nodded. "It's a good plan, Red."

As they enjoyed their moment, a red light began blinking on the control panel of the jet. They were receiving an incoming transmission. Bucky hit the button, thinking it had to be Steve Rogers, only to receive an unwanted surprise of Tony Stark. "It's about time someone answered one of my calls." He was as snarky as ever.

"How did you find us?" Riley asked as Bucky frowned again.

"Didn't you hear? Rogers and I have made a momentary truce until we get the kid back." Stark said. "The cat guy and I are on our way to pick up Rogers now."

"Cat guy?" Bucky asked.

"T'Challa." Riley clarified as Bucky stiffened. They didn't really have a great relationship off-the-bat. Especially after the airport incident. "Stark, thank you." Riley said, sincerely.

"I'm sorry I didn't figure it out sooner, Deadshot." Stark said. "We're on our own now but, I'm here to help. Once we get Rogers, we'll be heading to your location. Keep your earpieces on at all times, you two are probably walking into a trap."

They already figured as much. "We'll see you there." Riley added as the transmission ended. She looked at Bucky, concerned. "He's right, you know. It's probably a trap."

"Zemo underestimates us." Bucky said. "I'm the Winter Soldier, you never miss. He also took our daughter. He's not getting out of this alive."

Riley smiled weakly at his optimism, or rather polite pessimism. She wasn't sure if his words were comforting or really just masking the truth. This could be the end of everything or the beginning of a better tomorrow. Either way, they were doing it together.

* * *

 **Final Thought:** You guys are going to hate me. I'm so sorry. Remember to review!


	16. My Baby Shot Me Down

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that this chapter is short, it has to be. And I'm sorry. I'm going hide under my desk.

Reviews:

ellidraco1014: Thank you for your review! I hope they get Emily back too… wait... I should know if they do, right? Eh, let's find out together!

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Guest 1: Yes! Two badasses, fighting side by side to take out that asshole that took their daughter!

Guest 2: Thank you! Hopefully you don't hate me after this!

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Although you'll probably hate me now… yeesh.

Anyway!

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I still don't own Marvel!

* * *

Bucky landed the jet among the rocks and snow. Riley stared out the window as the sun reflected off piles of snow. It had been a while since she had seen snow. Brazil wasn't exactly known for snow. She saw the two large doors among a rock structure in the distance. "This is it." She said quietly as Ghost prepared for their fight. Who knew what they were running in to?

"This place has been abandoned for a long time." Bucky mentioned as Riley walked away from the front of the jet and towards him. "Closed down after the Winter Soldier project failed."

"Winter Soldier project?" Riley asked as she slung her Dragunov over her shoulder.

"They tried to recreate me with a similar formula. They used it on some of the deadliest assassins HYDRA ever produced. Let's just say they didn't take to it kindly and took out most of the base."

Riley swallowed hard. "What happened to them?"

"They were put under cryostasis until more research could be done to make them more obedient and stable. They're probably still frozen here." Bucky said grabbing an assault rifle.

Riley's eyes widened in horror. "What if that's Zemo's plan? Unleash these super soldiers?"

Bucky gave her a look. "Why do you think I'm packing heavy?"

"Ghost! If we are walking into a trap and we have to fight these guys, we are going to lose!"

"Have a little faith in me, doll." Bucky practically sang as he attached grenades to his belt. "Steve and the others will be here soon, if we have to, we hold them off until they get here. Hopefully, Zemo is smart enough to not have woken them up just yet."

"If he hasn't yet?"

"We kill them in their sleep." Bucky said adding more ammunition to his belt. Riley did the same, grumbling about how his plan was stupid as she did. He merely rolled his eyes before looking at Riley. "We go in, get Emily, and get out." He said again. "Stay close to me."

"We go home." Riley added.

"We go home." Bucky repeated. They two staring at each other longingly before Bucky gave in. He wrapped his metal arm around the small of her back, pulling her close to him and kissing her. She returned the kiss with as much love and need as he gave. Who knew what they were walking into? They were going in guns and all, anything could happen.

Reluctantly, Bucky pulled away first. Looking down at his red head, his soon to be wife. She truly was his everything, he whole being. He'd do anything for her even if it meant going down a dark path he swore he would never do again. His family was that important to him.

"Ready?" He asked. Neither of them were but, what choice had they. The two assassins silently left the jet, fully equipped and ready for the worst.

* * *

The pair exited the elevator that took them down deeper into the base, everything was dusty and full of cobwebs yet, someone was definitely here. The lights were on and most doors that opened with electricity were working properly. Bucky had his assault rifle up and ready, checking the corners and rooms as they walked passed. Riley took up the rear, checking their six and making sure nothing was sneaking up from behind.

There was a stale silence as the two continued to walk. Only engines in the distance making noises, possibly generators. Creaks and moans from the building as they walked the halls. "This place gives me the creeps." Riley said.

Bucky, keeping his nerves inward snorted. "You didn't have to live here."

"Are you okay being here?" Riley asked.

"I don't have a choice, Red." He responded honestly. Riley felt bad for Bucky as they continued to delve deeper. The two made it to a double set of industrial doors, Bucky immediately stopped. "This is the main area where the Winter Soldiers were kept in cryostasis." He said quietly. "If things get bad, there's a silo in that direction." He pointed down the hall with his gun. "There's a big red button, if you hit it, these metal grates will come up. Climb them, it'll take you directly up to the jet." He said.

"I'm not leaving without you." Riley said stubbornly.

Bucky turned and looked at her. "If it's between leaving me here and getting Emily out. Do it."

Riley didn't want to think about that. Yet, it made sense and she hated it. "Let's do this."

Reluctantly, Bucky turned to face the doors again. Using his metal hand, he pushed open the door. A loud creak came from the metal as they entered the large area. Six chambers were in the room, three on either side of a chair that looked more like a torture device to Riley. Behind that was a window, darkness filling that room.

Riley noticed that there were still people sitting inside the chambers. She couldn't make out any features but their silhouette. "All dead." A voice came over a PA system, Riley jumped slightly. Bucky stiffened, recognizing the voice. "I guess they weren't as strong as the original product." The thick German accented voice said again, this time, Riley recognized it.

The window at the back wall lit up, revealing the face of someone Riley wanted to put a bullet through. "Bryan." She muttered.

"That's not his name, Red." Bucky added, the two now standing side by side as they stared at the man. "His real name is Zemo." It then clicked, of course Bryan Atkin wanted Bucky, he was never Bryan Atkin; he was Zemo.

"I suppose you want to know why you're here." The man formerly known as Bryan Atkin said.

"Where's Emily?" Riley asked.

Zemo just smirked. "The Winter Soldier project never worked as intended. We were always missing a key ingredient. Your blood was just too strong but, if diluted just enough it would be exactly what we need to create the world's deadliest assassins." He said. "Your daughter is a perfect match." Riley raised her handgun then, shooting perfect headshots that only bounced off the bulletproof glass shielding Zemo. "Now, now, Ms. Campbell, there will be none of that."

"You lay a finger on her and I swear your death will be far from quick and painless." Riley threatened.

"I don't want to hurt your daughter. Like your precious Avengers hurt my son." Zemo said. "I never lied about that. But I have a schedule to keep, Avengers to ruin. Sometimes you need to make sacrifices to your beliefs to do that."

"So you'll just ruin the life of someone you've already hurt? Someone who did **_nothing_** to you?" Riley asked as Bucky's eyes wandered the room for any way to Zemo.

Zemo laughed. "But you _did_ ruin my life, Ms. Campbell. Well, you didn't exactly. But _he_ did." Zemo said, looking at Bucky. "I guess maybe I did lie to you. I had told you that there were no hard feelings when your precious soldier killed my wife to save you."

"You would have done the same." Bucky snarled. "It was never about hurting you."

"Did you even know you killed her?" Zemo asked, now with a new anger Riley hadn't seen before. "When you went on your rampage, did you know you stabbed her several times? She suffered and I plan to make you suffer all the same."

"Don't hurt our daughter." Riley was pleading now, afraid of what he would do to Emily.

Zemo just smirked. "I do have a lot of respect for you, Ms. Campbell. You remind me so much of your mother." That made Riley sick to her stomach. "However, revenge is revenge." He then raised his hand, showing he was holding a tattered red book with a black star on the cover. "And what better way to have revenge than make the man who worked so hard to save you, kill you."

Riley narrowed her eyes. "He would nev—"

Bucky quickly interrupted her. "Run."

Riley looked at him incredulously. "What?"

"You need to run." Bucky said as Zemo opened the book and began to read.

"Zhelaniye." Zemo said over the PA system. Bucky began to get uncomfortable, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as he clutched his gun tighter.

"Ghost?" Riley said again.

"Rzhavyy" Zemo said.

Bucky twitched, dropping his gun and grabbing his head. "RUN!" He shouted, gritting his teeth tightly as Zemo continued to read.

"Bucky what is happening?" Riley asked, terror in her voice as she watched Bucky visibly suffer in front of her. Zemo read two more words by then, Bucky soon collapsed to his knees, his hands in his hair as he screamed. Pain and an intense throb pulsing through his brain as Zemo read the last few words. When Zemo finally said the last word 'gruzovoy vagon', Bucky stopped moving altogether. A deep silence filled the room as Bucky didn't move.

"Soldier?" Zemo finally said.

Bucky then spoke in Russian, something she hadn't heard in a long time. "Ready to comply." His voice monotone as Riley began to back away. Something was very, **_very_** wrong.

"Kill Riley Campbell; slowly, intimately. Give us a show." Zemo said, amusement in his voice.

Riley was frozen to the spot, until Bucky stood and turned to her. "Well shit." She said in horror as Bucky charged for her. Immediately, he began throwing punches, trying to unbalance her. Riley took on the defensive as she back up, countering as many punches as she could. "Ghost! Stop it!" She pleaded as his metal fist made contact with her jaw. Riley stumbled backwards, landing on her behind. She quickly scrambled back, trying to get away from him as he came for her.

Ghost stomped down, barely missing her leg as she swept it behind him, kicking behind his knees and throwing him off. Riley quickly stood and turned, she needed to head for the door and escape. Ghost was faster, he always was. He grabbed her ankle and pulled her down. His hand reaching for his knife as he tried to hold Riley down.

Riley squirmed under him, thrashing about in an attempt to get Ghost off her. "Ghost it's me!" She pleaded as he grabbed his knife and stabbed downward, missing her face by mere inches.

Riley quickly kicked upwards, wrapping her legs around his and forcing him to roll over. She forced herself up and ran for the door. Her fingers to her ears as she tried to contact the only ones who could help. "Stark!" She shouted as she opened the door and ran out.

"Deadshot, what's going on?" Stark asked, his voice coming through the comm link.

"Zemo." Riley said breathlessly as she ran down the hall Bucky had mentioned earlier. "He did something, Bucky is out of control."

"What do you mean?" She heard Steve's voice then, the group was listening in.

The door behind Riley slammed open, Bucky was now running after her. "He said some words and now Bucky is trying to kill me." Riley yelped as Bucky grabbed her hair, pulling her backwards. The comm link still on, Stark, T'Challa and Rogers could hear everything as Riley struggled.

With one lucky swing of her elbow, she was able to find that sweet spot on Barnes' arm, causing him to release her hair. "Riley, get away from him!" Steve said, trying to stay calm. It wasn't working.

Riley was running again, crashing into the door to the silo and looking for the red button. She saw it to her immediate right and slammed her fist into it. Metal grates began to drop down from the wall, creaking and hissing as they came down. Riley grabbed onto the first one she saw and began to climb. As she began to pull herself up, a sharp jab came to her side. Riley shouted in pain as she was pulled off the grate and onto the ground again. A knife in her side, _his_ knife. She quickly pulled it out, her hand on the wound as she forced herself to stand. His fist connected with her face again, forcing her to stumble back.

"Hang on Deadshot, we're almost there!" Stark said in her ear, panic in his voice as he heard the commotion.

Riley, forcing herself up again, ready to fight. She kicked as hard as she could, causing Barnes to stumble back again and made her way to the grates. This time, she was able to lift herself up fully and began working her way to the top. She knew he'd be right behind her, she had to climb. As the pain surged in her side, adrenaline kicked in. "Stark, get Emily out of here."

"We're coming, Riley. Hang on." Stark said.

She knew it was a long shot. "Promise me you'll get her out of here!" Her voice quivering.

Stark knew that tone, it was a tone of someone expecting to lose. "Keep fighting Riley, we're almost there."

Riley climbed higher, peering down every so often to see Ghost hot on her trail. Higher and higher, the hole in the ceiling ready for her to climb out and head to the safety of the jet. She made it closer to the top, three more rows left. She would be safe.

Her foot was caught, causing her to fall forward and onto the landing she had been on. It was too late, she had no time to recover as Ghost forced her up by the back of her neck and threw her from the grate. "STARK!" She screamed as her body fell with great speed

"RILEY!" Stark shouted a loud thud and crack echoing through the comm link as Riley's body made contact with the cement ground.

* * *

Ghost began his descent down the grates, making his way to the bottom floor. He jumped off the last set of rows, landing on the ground as his boots made a thud. He watched as her body twitched and jerked every so often as he came closer. He slowly walked over, standing above her as he looked down at her. Her eyes shut as she gasped for air that wasn't enough. Ghost knelt down next to her, taking his metal hand and slowly placing it on her neck to stop the last flow of oxygen to her. As life slipped from Riley, her body going numb, her mind going blank. Riley J. Campbell lost consciousness.

* * *

 **Final Thoughts:** IM SORRY. OKAY IM SORRY. Gonna go hide under my desk. Leave me a nice review… or yell at me. Idk. Just dead inside.


	17. The Downward Spiral

**Author's Note:** I couldn't do it! I couldn't just leave you guys on that. I'm not **_that_** heartless. Okay, I might be, because things still aren't going so well for our favorite assassins. But, that's how we move forward, right? We take the bad and find good somewhere. It just might take another chapter… or twelve. Just kidding! Maybe….

Anyway! My favorite part!

Reviews:

JLBriggs: I'm so sorry I missed you last chapter! Thank you for your reviews and I'm so sorry! I posted as fast as I could because I felt bad leaving you guys on such a bad note! Forgive me!

Slytherin Studios: Thank goodness! I was waiting for hate from everyone haha. Thank you for reviewing!

ImsebastianstanButter: I know, our poor Bucky is in for a whole world of hurt when he realizes what's happened. Thank you so much!

Alina: I AM SO SORRY. FORGIVE ME PLEASE. TAKE THIS CHAPTER AS A STEP TOWARDS FORGIVENESS! D:

Remember to review, guys! I love talking to you even if I'm absolutely terrified of your reactions after I pretty much tore everything we've worked so hard to build down! I also respond to each and every one of you so even if it's not a review and just a "hey!" I'll still gladly respond!

Alright, enough chit chat, you know the drill!

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Marvel, just my OC that I may or may not have killed off and oh gosh, everything is awful. Let's try and fix this as best we can, shall we? (No matter how impossible…)

* * *

A flash of light illuminated the room as Barnes was blasted back, he was knocked into the wall with such force as Iron Man flew into the room. He kept his arm raised, waiting for Bucky to get back up. That didn't happen. He quickly turned to the body on the floor, his mask disappearing from his face as he knelt down next to Riley. "Riley, look at me." He said, noticing the blood on her shirt. "Shit." He said, putting his hand to her upper chest, waiting for FRIDAY to find any sign of life.

"She's barely there, boss." FRIDAY confirmed.

Captain America and Black Panther ran into the room then, immediately stopping as they saw the scene displayed before them. "Tony is she—" Steve began to ask. "Is she?"

"She needs medical attention. Immediate medical attention." He said, emotion leaving his voice as he stared at her.

T'Challa came forward. "Let me take her. Your hospitals can't help her." Stark didn't move as T'Challa carefully leaned down and picked up Riley. "Find the child, I will keep Riley safe." He said, immediately sprinting from the room and heading for the jet.

Stark, rage enveloping his body, stood and looked to where Barnes lied. Steve ran between them. "It wasn't him. It was Zemo. He did something to Bucky."

"He **_killed_** her!" Tony said, all rationality leaving.

Steve raised his hands. "We don't know that, Tony. We have to find Emily. Riley asked us to do that."

Tony turned his back, pacing now as he tried to calm down and not kill Sergeant Barnes. "And is she isn't here?" He asked.

Steve let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know but, we need to look." They left the silo and an unconscious Bucky Barnes and headed towards the main area.

* * *

Upon walking in they noticed the chambers with the dead Winter Soldiers. "What is that all about?" Steve asked.

"Isn't it obvious? This place is a testing lab. What it looks like are more failed experiments that didn't reach Barnes' criteria." Tony said noticing the back window, the light still on.

Suddenly, a baby cry echoed through the main area. The two Avengers exchanged looks. "That's Emily." Steve said.

"But where?" Tony asked as he turned to the window. He had a feeling he needed to go that way. "Stand back." He said, raising his gauntlet and blasting at the window. It took three total blasts to make a hole big enough for them to travel through.

Walking through they noticed another set of doors, cautiously they walked through to see a smaller lab, the crying louder now. As they walked forward they heard the click of a gun. "I wouldn't move." He said.

That was when Tony and Steve saw Zemo. He was aiming his gun at the infant sitting on the operating table, a needle in her arm to begin extracting blood samples. "Let her go!" Steve objected. "She's a child!"

"She's not just any child." Zemo said. "Do you have an idea how important her blood is? The serum to creating more soldiers like her? It's all within her veins."

Steve cautiously looked around the room for anything they could use as a distraction to get Zemo to lower the gun. Tony kept talking. "You know, Barnes is going to kill you. He's not just going to kill you, he's going to destroy you. It would be better surrendering now. You'll at least live to see another day." He tried to bargain. "Let the kid go."

"Barnes is a little preoccupied at the moment, unless—" Zemo smirked. "You already found what's left of Riley." Tony was grateful for the mask covering his face; his anger would have given him away.

Steve found it, a pipe directly above Zemo. If he hit the pipe just right with his shield, it would come down right on Zemo, distracting him for a moment. That would be their opportunity. He just needed Tony to keep distracting him as he readied his throw.

"So what do you plan to do?" Tony asked. "Make more soldiers you can't control?"

"The soldiers will survive this time." Zemo said. "And they'll destroy every last one of you."

"That's not going to happen." Tony said as Steve immediately threw his shield. Zemo, out of instinct, ducked. The shield hit the pipe and the pipe swung down just missing Zemo. It didn't matter, Tony had already fired his gauntlet, blasting Zemo back as he fired one shot. Emily began to cry out again from the noise as Steve and Tony rushed over. Tony Stark held his gauntlet out, aiming it at the now hurt Zemo. "I wouldn't move."

Steve walked over to Emily, carefully taking the needle out of her arm and picking her up. He held her close and tried to comfort her as she cried. "Knock him out, Tony." Steve said. "We need to take him to the jet."

"With pleasure." Tony said, punching Zemo as hard as he could in the face. Zemo, effectively passing out. Tony bent down and picked him up. "What about Barnes?"

"We take Zemo to the jet, secure him. I'll get Barnes." Steve said.

"And the kid?" Tony asked.

Steve knew he couldn't bring Emily to Bucky just yet. If Bucky hadn't recovered that could be a catastrophe. "Watch her while I get Bucky."

Tony bent down and lifted Zemo up before throwing him over his shoulders. While the world was just a little bit safe now that Zemo was captured, the Avengers felt like they still had lost.

* * *

Steve made his way back to the silo after leaving Emily in the care of Tony. Zemo had been secured as best as possible on the jet Bucky and Riley had taken to get to Siberia. Zemo was still out cold, thankfully. Steve was almost positive if Zemo were awake, he'd say something to make Tony kill him. Everyone was on edge, one wrong thing would send them to make decisions they'd regret later.

Steve walked into the silo only to see that Bucky was already awake. His knees were to his chest as he hugged them with both arms. He wasn't moving, just staring at the blood stain on the floor in front of him. "Is she dead?" He asked quietly. Steve didn't know how to answer, Bucky asked a little louder. "Steve, is she dead?"

Steve sighed. "I don't know." It was the truth. He didn't know if Riley made it or not.

"Emily?" Barnes asked.

"She's safe." Steve was at least somewhat happy to report that. Bucky gave a curt nod, still not moving otherwise. "We have to go, Buck."

Bucky forced himself to stand. He walked over to Steve, without a word. His eyes trailing to the blood on the floor as he passed it. That was where she laid, the last time he saw her. He killed his red head, he just had a feeling.

Steve stopped him before he could go any further, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't you." He said softly. "Whatever HYDRA did to you, it's still controlling a part of you."

The look coming from Bucky only signified a broken man who had nothing left in the world. At least, it felt that way. "I still did it."

Steve pulled his best friend in for as comforting of a hug as he could muster. His heart heavy for so many reasons, his best friend was hurting. His best friend was also hurting because he probably killed the love of his life. Their child was potentially motherless and Steve couldn't do or say anything about it. "Let's get to the jet." Steve offered. Bucky just silently pulled away and the two walked back to the jet.

* * *

Bucky stopped outside the jet, snow was starting to fall now as he looked at Steve. "Is he in there?" Bucky asked. Steve didn't need to ask who. He just nodded. Bucky glared. "Bring him out here."

"Buck…"

"I don't want Emily to watch what I'm about to do." Bucky said.

Steve shook his head. "I can't let you do that."

"I can." The two looked at the jet as Tony forced the now conscious Helmet Zemo out of the jet and into the snow. "I wasn't ever here to begin with, I didn't see anything." Tony said, turning away and heading into the jet.

"Think about this, Buck. It won't bring her back." Steve offered.

Bucky didn't care as he walked over to Zemo. "I don't care." For the first time, Bucky saw fear in Zemo's eyes as he reached down and pulled him up eye level. "I suggest you go into the jet, Steve."

Steve, against his moral code and everything he stood for, did exactly what his friend asked and turned a blind eye as he headed into the jet.

Zemo forced a smirk. "How does it feel to lose everything?"

Bucky snarled. "Let me show you." His metal fist collided with Zemo's face, tossing Zemo to the ground again. Bucky had no intentions of making this quick.

* * *

"I know you're not happy." Tony said as he watched the scene before him from the jet. "It's not exactly what we _do_. Think of it this way, Barnes needed this." Steve, holding a now sleeping Emily, didn't respond as he kept her away from seeing the carnage. Tony didn't flinch as he watched Barnes practically tear Zemo to pieces, the snow now stained a pinkish tone.

"Have you heard from T'Challa?" Steve asked.

Tony nodded, finally tearing his eyes away from the window to look at Steve. "They're in Wakanda. He said he has a safe place for you, Barnes, the kid." Tony said. "I suggest you all take it while I try and clear up everything here."

"Did he say anything about Riley?" Tony didn't respond, Steve knew it was better to not push this situation any further. They all needed to not think about it for a while.

Bucky came into the jet not much after. He was alone, his right hand bloodied, most of it not his own. Zemo was dead and Bucky felt nothing. Bucky silently walked closer to Steve. He saw Emily lying in Steve's arms. Steve offered to hand Emily to him, Bucky just shook his head and wandered to the back of the jet to be alone.

That sinking feeling returning to Steve Rogers as he watched his friend slowly deteriorate in front of him. There was nothing he could do except hold the sleeping child and wait for any good news as the jet headed to Wakanda.

Tony didn't stay when the group made it to Wakanda. He left almost as immediately as they arrived, making up some excuse about needing to get started on helping the rest of the Avengers. While true, Rogers wasn't also sure if it had anything to do with Riley.

* * *

T'Challa met the group immediately, relieved to see that Emily was all right. He mentioned nothing about Riley, no one had asked. He simply invited everyone inside and showed them around the main lab areas. "We are completely safe here, no one can get to us." He assured them. "Emily will be safe here, we have caregivers whenever you're not able. An extensive educational program for her as well." They walked around the facility. "This is where most of our medical research happens. Everything from medicine to psychological, we handle it." He looked at Steve, holding Emily still. "We should put the little down for a nap. There are things I also wish to discuss with the both of you. Settle in, we can converse later."

Bucky had been silent the whole time but followed Steve as they found the room where a crib had been setup. The room was perfect, quiet and away from the research bay. Riley would have loved it, at least, Bucky thought so.

Steve put the sleeping child down in the crib and looked at his friend. "How are you holding up?" He asked.

"Please don't ask me that, Steve." Bucky warned. It didn't matter if Riley had lived or not, he would never forgive himself regardless of the circumstances. Bucky Barnes was falling apart.

Later that evening, Bucky had settled into his new room. He had asked for Steve to watch over Emily for a little while until he got his head on straight. However long that would take, he wouldn't know. A light knock on his door, Bucky reluctantly got up and answered it, it was T'Challa. "Sergeant Barnes." He said, with a small smile. "I hope you don't find me being forward by coming to you. However, I have been told by Captain Rogers that Zemo had used phrases to trigger your attack on Ms. Campbell?"

Hearing her name hurt. Everything hurt. "I was conditioned for that, I didn't think the book survived all these years." Bucky admitted. "I was wrong."

"It something that still ails you today?" Bucky nodded once. "I may have a way to cure it, if you are interested."

Bucky folded his arms over his chest. "I'm listening."

"Completely up to you, we can recondition you. The procedure involves cryo-freeze, which you are more than aware of what that entails. Then we manually recondition you. The procedure can take anywhere from weeks to months."

"I can't leave Emily alone for that long." Bucky said, immediately thinking about her safety. Not so much from anyone here but, from himself. How could he raise his daughter knowing that he was still capable of reverting back to the old ways? He was still a puppet.

"We can have someone watch her until you wake." T'Challa said. "It's a risk, you could be out for a long period of time or we could finish the procedure quickly. It depends on how long it takes to undo what HYDRA has done."

Bucky wanted to ask about Riley, he wanted to know what her status was, if anything. Yet, he was afraid to ask, he was afraid to know what he had done. "When can we do this?"

"We can start as early as tomorrow." T'Challa offered.

"I'll have to tell Steve."

T'Challa smiled. "I already informed him of this procedure. While he has his reservations, Captain Rogers is ready to help out with Emily anyway he can."

Having lost any and all hope that Riley would ever recover, Bucky knew he had to be ready to be the only parent if it would ever come to that. He couldn't trust himself with Emily if he was still able to be triggered. This was the only way. "Alright." Bucky said. "Tomorrow morning."

"Meet me in the B wing of the main research hall. We will begin bright and early." T'Challa said before turning to leave. He had one other thought. "Sergeant Barnes, I will do everything I can to help her." He quickly left after that. Bucky knew who he meant. Once T'Challa was clear of the door, Bucky slowly closed it. He leaned up against it, his back touching the cool door as his body slid down. For the first time in however long, James Buchannan Barnes sobbed.

* * *

The next morning, Bucky left his room and headed to the lab. He was ready to rid himself of whatever hold HYDRA still had on him. He was not ready, however, to miss out on Emily's life. He was also not ready to lose Riley. What if he never got his chance to say goodbye? What if she was gone before he woke up? Things he didn't want to think about but, couldn't help.

He wandered to the medical ward, it was a mindless effort as he went and soon found himself outside her door. She was on the other side, he could hear light blips from the machinery inside the room.

Bucky placed his hand on the door, inhaling deeply as he was about to open it. "Buck." He heard coming closer. Bucky turned and saw Steve walking closer, holding Emily in his arms again. Bucky had asked if he would watch Emily the night, he didn't think he had it in him to. Steve, being the good friend he is, did. "I don't know if you want to go in there." He admitted.

"Have you been?"

He didn't want to answer but knew he owed his friend one anyway. "I have." Bucky looked back at the door. "I'm not sure you want to go under seeing her like that."

"And what happens if she's gone while I'm under and I never get the chance to say goodbye." Bucky had a point. He looked back at Steve, noticing his daughter was reaching for him. He gave a small smile as he reached out to take her from Steve. "Hey, baby girl." He said softly, holding Emily close to him. The first time he had held her in months, since this whole war even began. "I'm sorry I had to leave for a while." He said, knowing he was leaving again shortly. He looked up at Steve as Emily snuggled into his chest comfortably. "Take care of her." He said.

"You know I will." Steve assured him, watching his best friend hold his daughter one last time for however long it would take. It broke his heart but, Bucky was certain about this. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Buck."

Bucky's lip twitched slightly. "He would have found us eventually." He said. "I'm just glad I had you to help us." He looked back at the door. "I need to say goodbye, Steve."

Steve understood as he took Emily back. She fussed for a few moments, wanting to be near her father and once again being taken away. Bucky took one last deep breath before opening the door and walking inside.

* * *

She was made as comfortable as possible. Bruises on her cheeks, under her left eye; a cut on her right cheek. A breathing tube had been inserted into her mouth, helping her breathe as much as possible. From what Bucky understood, he broke four of her ribs, fractured her hip, broke her left leg, dislocated her right leg, and punctured her lung. Not to mention the deep stab wound to her side. She looked awful yet, she was still the most beautiful thing in his eyes.

His mouth ran dry as he walked closer, his body shaking as he stood by her bedside. He carefully took her hand in his, not wanting to undo any of the IV's that were setup. "Red." He said softly. "I'm so sorry, Red." Warm tears began spilling down his cheeks as he stared at her. There was no way she would come out of this. She was in a comatose state, barely holding on. "I'm getting it fixed." He said. "All of it. They're taking out what's left of HYDRA." He hoped she could hear him. "I tried to keep Emily safe, I called you unstable. Little did I know the person you both needed to be safe from was me. It was always me. I was always the dangerous one and I'm so sorry." He wept. "I'm taking care of it, Red. I promise you. I'm taking care of it."

Bending over, he gently kissed the top of her head. His precious red head, the woman he loved; the woman he would have married. He hoped, somewhere deep down, that this would not be the last time he saw her. Faith was something Bucky Barnes was losing. How could he keep any faith now? With one last apology, he left the room.

Steve watched Bucky exit the room. He took Emily in his arms one last time and hugged her close to his chest. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, told her he loved her and handed her back to Steve. She began to cry now, wanting to just be with her father. He couldn't and without another word, he left Steve and Emily in the hallway as he went to the lab to finally remove HYDRA once and for all.

* * *

 **Final thought:** I promise, we are going to get passed this sadness together. We got this! Hang in there, friends! Remember to review and I will see you next time!


	18. The Death of Riley J Campbell

**Author's Note:** We aren't done yet. Oh no, no, no! We are far from over. Okay, we are closer to the end but we aren't there yet. There's still untold stories to be had.

I'm a believer of a form of afterlife and don't knock anyone else's beliefs for whatever they think happens after we die. So take this chapter as you will, I suppose!

And of course…

Reviews:

JLBriggs: I know! Poor Emily! Uncle Steve will take good care of her, I promise! However, we still have a lot more coming so… fingers crossed for that happy ending!

ImsebastianstanButter: I'm sorry! I'm a monster! I like to just throw the worst stuff at people, I guess DX Promise not to do that again! Maybe…!

Slytherin Studios: Thank you so much! We're not out of the woods yet so hang on!

Remember to review guys, I love responding and talking to y'all. I also love having something to read while I'm posting new chapters!

You know the drill…

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I work a 9-5 job, barely can pay my bills and on top of that, tuition. I obviously do not own Marvel or make any money off this.

Without further ado, I give you…

* * *

 ** _The Death of Riley J. Campbell…_**

 _She felt warm, like a blanket fresh out of the dryer. Her breaths deep and calm and there was no pain. A floating sensation around her entire being as she opened her eyes. She was standing in the middle of an empty hallway. In front of her, two chestnut doors that opened to reveal a celebration. Riley moved through them as the world around her formed. It was a dance hall, decorated in an old Hollywood 1940's style. Flashes from old cameras went off as Riley entered the room. People were dancing, laughing and talking. Everyone in that old 40's style as she entered the room. The people in the room stopped and turned to face her, all smiling and clapping now._

 _Riley was confused at the sudden affection but, it soon didn't matter as she realized amongst the crowd were her friends, all the Avengers were there. All of them dressed for the occasion as they smiled and cheered for her. Riley smiled at them and waved._ _"Glad you made it!" Some said. "Welcome!"_

 _They all began looking passed her, their smiles never leaving as Riley turned around to see what they were looking at. He came forward, in his war uniform, his hair much shorter than she had ever seen. He was grinning that signature grin as he took off his hat when he got closer. "Care to dance, doll?" He asked, holding his hand out for hers._

 _As Riley took his hand, Bucky placed his hat back on his head and twirled Riley into his arms, the two beginning to slow dance as the crowd clapped again. All that mattered now was Bucky and Riley. "What is this place?" She asked._

 _"Does it matter where we are?" Bucky asked softly. "We're together."_

 _Riley smiled. "I guess not." The two swayed back and forth to the music, Riley placing her head on his chest as they did. The room seemed empty, her eyes unable to lock on anyone else in the room. It was really just the two of them now. "I like it here."_

 _"I know." He said as they continued to dance._

 _The room quieted, only the light lull of the music in the distance as they danced. The room had cleared out completed as they swayed to the slow jazz song. Riley put her head against his chest, although something didn't feel quite right, she still felt she needed that interaction. "I'm also happy I'm not stepping on your toes." Riley joked._

 _Bucky chuckled. "You can't get hurt here and you most certainly can't hurt me."_

 _Riley scrunched her nose in confusion as she lifted to head to look at him. "What do you mean?"_

 _"Isn't it obvious, doll?" He asked, twirling her._

 _When she twirled back to face him, the confusion still visible on her face. "Isn't_ _ **what**_ _obvious?"_

 _"I'm not actually here." Bucky said. "Not yet, at least. Someday I will be but, for now I'm just here for your comfort."_

 _Riley pulled away, looking at him in somewhat horror. Realization taking over. "Am I dead?"_

 _"I prefer to think of it as moving on." He said, taking her hand again and twirling her closer to him._

 _The two continued dancing again. "I can't be dead. What about you? What about Emily?"_

 _"For a dead girl you have so many concerns." Bucky joked._

 _"So what, you're just a projection of my mind?" Riley asked. "A fake Bucky to ease my mind about this whole being dead thing?"_

 _He grinned, kissing the top of her head before correcting her. "A projection of what you want most. I might not really here but, there are others who are."_

 _Riley looked up at him. "Others?"_

 _"There are many parts to this place, doll. I suggest you explore." He gently pulled away and backing up towards the now black room. Riley stood alone in the center as the world around her meshing together into the most beautiful colors as she finally the images of a green field surrounded her._

* * *

 _Riley looked around, she knew this field. Her eyes locking onto the farm house to her right, still intact. She was home on the farm. "I was hoping to see you much later." Riley heard to her left, she quickly turned her head to see that familiar face, the smiling old man she had come to miss. "My Riley Jane."_

 _Tears formed in her eyes as she stared at him. "Granddad?" He simply nodded, Riley went to him, hugging him tightly. "Are you real?"_

 _"As real as can be." He chuckled. "I wish you weren't though."_

 _Riley pulled away, looking down at her feet. "I guess I'm a little early."_

 _He gave a sad smile as he nodded towards the house. "Come walk with me." He said. Riley happily obliged._

 _"You don't need your cane." She noted as they wandered around the farm out in the beautiful sunny field._

 _"That's the nice thing about heaven." He said with a smile._ _"You come here and are healed of all your ailments. Through your eyes I am almost exactly how I left you. Your Nan said I look like my younger war days self." He chuckled. "She's younger too, for me at least. Beautiful as ever."_

 _Riley smiled at his sentiment. "Are Aunt Bea and Nan here?"_

 _He nodded. "They are."_

 _Riley pursed her lips. "Why aren't they here to welcome me?"_

 _"My RJ." Granddad said lovingly. "I came here on my own because you need me right now."_

 _"I always need you, Granddad."_

 _He smiled again. "I know I haven't been honest with you. Everything that has happened, with your mother, with how I raised you. You're not a weapon, Riley Jane and yet I raised you to be one. All you've ever known was a gun in your hand."_

 _"I'm grateful for how you raised me."_

 _"Whatever had happened; the day your memories were wiped. You came back, stronger than ever. A little lost at times but, you're strong. I am so proud of you." He said. "I should have been more honest with you." He continued. "Nothing is as black and white as we want it to be. I was never on the right side, I had been on the wrong side a few too many times but, I tried to be a good person for the people who needed me to be. I tried to be good for you. That's something I want you to remember, RJ. Be good to those who need you. Be good for Emily, be good for Bucky."_

 _Riley sighed. "It's too late for that, Granddad." She said sadly. "I'm here now with you, Nan and Aunt Bea."_

 _"You don't have to be." Granddad said. "It's not your time unless you want it to be."_

 _Riley thought for a moment. "Can I stay just a little longer?"_

 _He chuckled. "As long as you'd like. Just remember, they're waiting for you."_

 _"Fake Bucky didn't tell me I could leave." She mumbled._

 _"Fake Bucky?" He asked with a grin._

 _Riley groaned. "There's a Bucky running around, not_ _ **my**_ _Bucky but_ _ **a**_ _Bucky. He's a projection of my wants and needs, I guess?"_

 _Granddad nodded. "This place likes to bring us comfort. It's alarming waking up here at first, so the best way to slowly welcome us is to give us our peace. Even if that peace is just a projection of what we need."_

 _Riley smiled sadly. "I guess I'll always need him too."_

 _"RJ, he needs you just as much. It's time for you to let go of all the things you've held onto for almost two years and live your life with him and Emily. I'm dead, nothing will change that. Just know that I do not blame you for any of it."_

 _"But I killed you." She said softly._

 _"No, Nora did when she turned you into the weapon I so blindly trained you to be." Granddad said. "You have nothing to hold onto anymore. You're free to live your life."_

 _"I just wish I could have projected you. All of you; Nan, Aunt Bea." Riley said, regretfully._

 _Granddad kept a knowing smile on his face. "You've done enough, RJ. We are all thankful for our time with you. Be thankful for yours."_

 _He was right. It was time to let go of everything that had held her back for almost two years. She had to do that, for Ghost and for Emily. They were waiting for her. However, Riley was most certainly not ready to come back yet. She also didn't know_ _ **how**_ _to come back._

 _And so she stayed in that field making small talk with Granddad. He showed nothing but admiration and pride as he spoke; his granddaughter had surpassed every expectation he ever had for her. If only she could have seen that earlier._

* * *

 _Time was irrelevant. The sun always seemed to be shining and Riley had lost track of how long she had actually been here. Wherever_ ** _here_** _was. It looked so much like the real world down to every detail; except too perfect. Nothing was out of place, even in the farm house._

 _Granddad had left a short while ago, or maybe it was days or weeks that had passed. It was hard to tell. She was alone now to wander this place until she found something to peak her interest. That came when she found the brown door in the middle of the field. She was convinced the door had not always been there. Riley curiously opened the door and walked in only to find herself back in Brazil. The apartment looked exactly how she left it. Yet, unlike her nightmares, it was warm and bright._

 _The living room was still as the sun shone through the window. Her favorite spot to sit by and read a good book while Bucky played with Emily on the floor. She could picture it now. Her happy place. How could she have ever wanted more out of life? She had everything once._

 _She heard commotion in the kitchen and slowly made her way down the hall. She walked through the doorway to see a familiar sight. Bucky was standing at the stove cooking breakfast. It smelled heavenly, of course it did. This place was paradise. He stopped cooking and turned to look at her. "You're back." He said with a smile._

 _"Back?" Riley asked. His hair was long again and he was no longer in his war uniform. Instead, he wore a simple white t-shirt and sweat pants, his long hair up in a messy man-bun._

 _"How was the farm?" He asked, amused that Riley still wasn't getting her predicament._

 _"It was nice; relaxing." She said. "I needed it to remind myself of who I am."_

 _He raised an eyebrow, still grinning as he asked. "I wasn't enough to do that for you?"_

 _Riley relaxed a little. "Even as a projection of my wants and needs, you're still as obnoxious as the real thing." She joked; he laughed. "It was nice seeing Granddad again."_

 _"Did you find what you were looking for?" He asked._

 _Riley made a face. "What am I looking for?"_

 _Bucky shrugged, turning back to the frying pan. "Forgiveness?" He offered. "Redemption? A way to rid the demons you've made along the way?"_

 _Riley folded her arms over her chest. "I guess I got all of that."_

 _"Then why are you still here?" He asking knowingly as he removed the eggs from the frying pan and placing them on a plate. He placed the pan in the sink, turned off the stove and put the plate on the table. Bucky nodded to the plate as he sat at the table, Riley took a moment before ultimately deciding to sit._

 _"I'm scared." She admitted. "I finally found acceptance to what I did but… I can't go back."_

 _"And why not?" He asked, watching Riley shift uncomfortably. "You have a daughter to take care of, you have me."_

 _Riley bit her lip. "That's why I'm scared, Ghost." She avoided her projections gaze as she stared at anything but him. The kitchen began to fade out of existence, slowly at first then more noticeably as the two now sat in the middle of a snowy forest. She recognized this place immediately, the old safe house was to her left. She looked around, amazed at the memories coming back. "This place is really something."_

 _He was grinning. "It changes a lot. Changes to whatever you want it to be most. I see you wasted no time in bringing us back here."_

 _"This was where we first met." She offered, her memories coming back to her as the two sat at their kitchen table in the middle of snow and woods. "I began to fall in love with you here." She paused for a moment, sadness overcoming her as she spoke the truth. "You're not really him."_

 _"He'll be here someday." He said, in an attempt to comfort Riley. "You two can be together and spend time in that cabin all over again."_

 _It was comforting to an extent, however, the idea of Bucky dying at all was still enough to make her cringe. "Not anytime soon, I hope."_

 _He let out an airy chuckle. "I can't tell you that." Riley lifted up her hand, catching snowflakes and watching the snow melt as soon as it landed. "So tell me, Red. Why are you scared?"_

 _She bit her lip nervously. "I know what's going to happen. If I come back, he's going to shut down, if he hasn't already." She no longer kept up the façade that this projection in front of her was the real Bucky. He could never be the real thing. "Nothing will ever be the same. What if I can't be the same for him either? Maybe it's just better if I let go?"_

 _"He needs you." Bucky said, no longer referring to himself in the first person. "She's going to need you too. Whatever happens, happens. You can't control what he did to you, what he's going to do if you decide to live. You just have to be brave. Can you be brave, Red?"_

 _Riley wanted to cry, yet she simply couldn't. She wondered if that was a side effect of this place; no tears allowed. "Everything is so much easier here."_

 _Bucky grinned. "Doll, life was never meant to be easy. Just everything after is."_

 _"How does anyone end up leaving this place knowing that?" She asked honestly as she stood from the kitchen table and heading for the safe house. She wandered in, the fireplace was burning brightly. Everything was exactly how she left it. Riley walked over to the main sitting area, noticing her Dragunov on the table along with her tea cup. His Winter Soldier gloves were there too. She remembered this night._

 _Bucky had appeared in the safe house now wearing his Winter Soldier armor; lounging on the couch just like he used to back then. Riley had to give the projection credit, he really nailed Bucky's mannerisms perfectly. "You're just stalling now."_

 _"I was stalling then too." She said with a smirk. "Bucky and I used to sit here for hours sometimes, waiting for the sunrise when he'd have to leave again. We'd sit in silence or make small talk. And the sparring. How neither one of us got hurt, I'll never know." She sighed dejectedly. "I guess he kept his promise though, he said he'd eventually kill me."_

 _Bucky smirked. "A dark joke for another time. I'm sure he'd find it funny eventually."_

 _Bucky sat up, allowing Riley to sit next to him. He pulled her into his side and the two cuddled up on the couch. Neither one speaking for a long while as she stared at the fire. Riley noticed something about her projection of Barnes. As perfect as his mannerisms were and his blatant sarcasm; he wasn't_ _ **perfect**_ _. He didn't feel the same as she cuddled next to him. Sure, it was comforting but, it wasn't the same. She realized that when she had danced with him, her head on his chest didn't feel as right. Riley began to realize just how much she missed her Ghost. "I wish you were really him." She said sadly. "I'd give anything just to talk to the real him right now."_

 _"Then go home." Bucky said as if it were the easiest thing possible. He looked down at her. "Be with him."_

 _"And what if it doesn't happen that way?" Riley asked nervously._

 _He smiled whole heartedly. "You won't know until you try. Remember what I said, be brave." She gave him a weak smile, although fearful for what would happen if she did wake up, he was right. "There's nothing left for you here, Red." He said softly. "Go home." Riley inhaled deeply, looking up at Bucky once more as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head._

 _"Thanks." She said quietly. "For everything."_

 _He just smiled. "Wake up, Red."_

 _Wake up, Red…_

 **And then Riley J. Campbell woke up.**

* * *

 **Final Thought:** :D Oh. Hey there. Glad we got through her death together. Now let's bring this story back on track, shall we? Remember to review and thanks for reading!


	19. Where We Left Off

**Author's Note:** It's the Friday update before a weekend away! Here's a really long chapter that's very wordy! Hooray for wordy! Fanfiction site is having some beefs with people and their profiles and the whole login issue. Hopefully it's resolved soon!

Remember to review guys, I respond to every review and love reading them. It helps make the writing process easier!

Speaking of reviews…

Reviews:

ImsebastianstanButter: Our Riley has lived! Poor girl has gone through so much but, she's alive!

JLBriggs: Hooray, thank you! I'm glad you liked it. We needed a break from all this devastation to have something nice.

Slytherin Studios: Thank you! Hope you enjoy this chapter too!

Guest: Thank you so much, you rock! Glad you're enjoying and I hope you continue to enjoy!

Anyway! You know the drill!

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** So I'm back to owning just my OC. Still don't own Marvel!

* * *

When Riley opened her eyes, she was immediately blinded by the bright fluorescent lighting of the room she was in. She shut her eyes tightly and slowly opened them until her vision adjusted accordingly. Her breathing was a little harsh, harsher than she remembered. The sound of blips and beeps the only real noise in the room as she lifted her arms to examine her hands.

She noticed the IV in her left hand pumping fluids, her skin tone much paler than she could recall. Her arms were stiff and her fingers cracked as she moved them. That was when she noticed the oxygen line in her noise, she could feel it as she moved scrunched her face a little. She felt sore and achy.

The door to the room opened and a surprise audible gasp was heard as a woman came closer. "Ms. Campbell, good afternoon." She said, smiling. Her accent was one she recognized, she had heard it whenever she spoke to T'Challa. "I am Nefiri, your doctor. I'm going to do a few tests and we can see what our next moves for you are. Is that okay?" Riley could barely nod but made the effort. "Let me get you some water and we may begin." She said as she pressed a button to slowly adjust the bed. "If this hurts, please let me know."

The bed rose to put Riley in a sitting position. She flinched a few times at the aches and pains but ultimately, she was okay. This was when Riley was able to see more of the room and her lower half. Although covered by a blanket, she at least knew it was still there.

Nefiri handed Riley the cup, seeing if she could take it. Riley reached for it and grabbed as tightly as she could. Nefiri watched as Riley shakily put the cup to her lips and began drinking. The liquid cooling the burning in her throat as she chugged. Nefiri chuckled. "Ms. Campbell, you should slow down. You'll give yourself a stomach ache." Riley stopped drinking, her throat feeling less dry. Nefiri took the cup and placed it to the side and smiled. "Let's run some tests."

According to Nefiri, Riley had been out for four months. When brought here, they induced her into a coma in hopes to slow down all swelling in her body. They had also hoped she would have recovered sooner. She barely held on in her comatose state but, she proved to be stronger.

Riley apparently had been moving for a few days prior to her wake up, something the doctors had kept on the quiet side just in case it had been a fluke. Today showed otherwise as Riley began to function again. She wasn't allowed to walk on her own yet, her legs were too weak. Most broken bones had been set and healed at this point, however, she hadn't been able to exercise them and help their repair. Nefiri explained she would need to attend physical therapy and stay in bed a little longer. Riley wasn't having it.

She wanted to see Bucky. She practically demanded it and threatened to crawl to him if she had to. That was when Nefiri pulled aside Steve Rogers to tell him that Riley had been awake for several hours and that he needed to explain what happened with Sergeant Barnes.

Steve, although happy to see Riley, hated delivering more bad news about Bucky's current state. Granted, it was for a positive change, he wasn't here to welcome her back to the living. That didn't stop Riley's demand to see him and after much arguing, Steve was able to convince Nefiri to let Riley use a wheelchair. The terms were set however, that she couldn't strain herself or overexert herself and that Steve had to push the chair. With a groan of displeasure, Riley agreed knowing it was the only way. She also needed to get out of the room, she was suffocating in all the medical equipment.

Steve had wheeled her to the lab where Bucky was, stopping in front of the chamber so Riley could see him. He looked peaceful in the chamber, not in pain or discomfort. "He'll remember me when he wakes up, right?" Riley had asked Steve. He reassured her over and over again that Bucky would be the same as he went in, just minus the hold that HYDRA had on him.

The visit wasn't long, Riley started to have flashbacks over what happened four months ago. Steve quickly removed her from the room and back towards the hospital room. Riley objected returning there, what she really wanted was to see Emily. Steve promised her that Emily would be visiting her soon, she just had to take things easy for a while.

The suggestion of therapy was thrown around a few times. Riley was happy to have Steve in the room with her then. She would have denied her way out of needing actual therapy but, Steve insisted it was for the best for her family if she talked to someone about what happened. Reluctantly she agreed and knew Steve was really looking out for her best interest.

* * *

Two days after she woke up and having her first physical therapy and mental health session, Riley was able to see Emily.

Wanda walked into the room, smiling as she held the happy baby in her arms. She was smiling not only because her friend was all right but now Emily had her mother again. Even though her body and arms were sore, Riley didn't hesitate to hold her daughter close to her and not want to let go.

Emily was sitting upright more confidently now and she was babbling more. Her excitement uncontained as she sat with her mom for the first time in four months. She looked so much older, Riley thought. A little person with her own personality was forming.

"I've made sure to project positive memories of you and Barnes." Wanda mentioned in passing as Riley watched her daughter sit on the bed between her legs. She was babbling nonsense as she sat there looking around. "I didn't want her to miss you both too much."

Riley forced a half-hearted smile as she looked at Wanda. "Thank you." She said. "How long have you guys been here anyway?"

"About two months. Stark came to plead our case and after a long legal battle Sam, Clint and I were able to go free. Pietro met up with us and now Sam, Pietro and I are here."

"No Barton?"

"He thought it best to be home with his family. They're looking to relocate soon after what happened." Wanda said.

Riley pursed her lips, feeling guilt take over. "I wish I could apologize to him. I put his family in danger."

"You didn't know. No one knew what was going to happen." Wanda tried to comfort the red head. "He doesn't blame you."

"What about Natasha?"

"Steve has tried contacting her. She went off the grid four months ago and we haven't heard from her since."

Riley nodded. "She'll come out when she's ready."

Wanda tiptoed into dangerous territory, unsure how Riley would respond as she asked. "How did therapy go?"

"Physical or mental?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow as she gave Wanda a knowing look. "Both went well, I think. Nefiri thinks I'll be walking in a few weeks, with a cane of course. Mentally? They just want to make sure I stop having nightmares."

"Nightmares?" Wanda asked.

Riley's top row of teeth raked over her bottom lip as she bit it nervous, unsure how to answer. "I've been having nightmares." She admitted. "Well, it's only been two days but, it's been consistent and they want to get down to the bottom of it."

"About what?"

"Barnes." She answered as if it were the most obvious answer. "You know what happened, right?"

Wanda fiddled with her hands. "I've heard from Steve's account. He said he was listening in on the whole thing."

"It's not his fault." Riley said quickly. "He was under HYDRA's control. Something was still in him that triggered when Zemo read from this old book. I don't blame Bucky."

"But you're still having nightmares about it?"

"I think it's a knee-jerk reaction." Riley said. "They think it best I get it out now. I don't want Bucky to think I'm afraid of him."

Wanda looked at Emily as she played with a string on the hospital blanket. "I don't think he'd blame you if you were afraid." Wanda admitted. "He might be scared on his own terms. He almost killed you."

"And I don't want that." Riley said, her face scrunching up in distaste at the idea. Her cheek still hurting slightly from a rather harsh bruise that was healing. "I'd like normalcy just once in my life." She said with a sarcastic grin.

"You're an elite sniper who is friends with the Avengers and have a child with the world's most notorious assassin." Wanda joked. "You never had normalcy to begin with."

Riley actually laughed back to Wanda's relief. "Doesn't mean I can't want it." She let out an exasperated sigh. "That's all we wanted when she came along." Riley said nodding to Emily. "Bucky and I knew we could never come back to the game and selfishly we still did. We had our own reasons; Steve, the need to fight on the good side. I can't help but wonder if things would have turned out the same had we stayed home."

"You can't torture yourself like that." Wanda said. "The choices that were made are already set. You can't live in the regrets of 'what if'."

"I know." Riley said, stretching as much as she could without moving too much. "I also believe that Zemo would have found us regardless. At least we had you guys to help us through it."

Wanda looked down at her lap regretfully. "I wish I had done more."

"You did enough." Riley said. "What happened to the whole _not living in regret_ thing?" She tried to joke, causing Wanda to smile slightly. "Besides, you kept Emily safe and took care of her for two months. That's a lot more than I could ever ask for."

The conversation shifted back to Emily. "She's a smart kid. She's been trying to walk. If she can hold onto a ledge she grabs it and tries to move. She's going to run before she even gets that down." Wanda said with a small laugh before going serious again. "I hope you don't mind me placing projections in her mind. In turn that meant I could see what she was thinking. She loves both of you. She's also quite the daddy's girl."

Riley snickered. "She always was. He had such a way with her. When Emily was born I was scared for the first few weeks with her. I couldn't really go near her. Bucky was her protector. He kept her safe from me whenever I relapsed or freaked out about being a mom." She felt ashamed now. "I wasn't ready to be a mom when I had her. I thought it would have changed when I did. At first, it didn't. Bucky was what she needed then until I sorted it out. Luckily, I eventually did and now I can't get enough of her." Riley paused. "I still worry about doing the right thing. I didn't really have a mother growing up. When I did finally get to know her, she brainwashed me and tried to capture my boyfriend. I don't have a lot to go on for mother of the year here."

"She sees you in the highest regard, don't worry." Wanda reassured her. "She loves you, it's in her thoughts. If she could talk I'm sure she'd tell you. Don't ever think you're anything like Nora because you're not."

"That's what they keep telling me." Riley mumbled before changing the subject. "I can't wait to get out of this bed. I hate it in here."

"It's much cooler outside of this room. The actual apartments are pretty cool."

"Aren't you supposed to be coaxing me into staying here and not making me want to leave?"

Wanda grinned. "I don't like lying to you." Riley laughed.

* * *

For the next three weeks, Riley worked hard to be able to walk and move around like normal. It was difficult, sometimes almost impossible in her eyes, but soon she was limping around with a cane.

They couldn't keep her in the hospital wing for long (she broke out one day and escaped to the quieter parts, only to be reprimanded by Steve when they eventually did find her). She begged to be allowed to stay outside of the hospital room and was finally granted that freedom, also to keep her from breaking out… again. They had moved her into a smaller one bedroom apartment that was close to the rest of the hiding out Avengers. She had a place of her own and could finally take care of Emily again. At least, take care of Emily as much as she could. Emily still had a caregiver and Wanda on the days Riley couldn't move too much. She also noted that the bed was big enough for herself and eventually Ghost if they ever returned to that part of their lives again.

For now, Riley was being the mom she knew she had to be for Emily. She put her own needs last

(excluding her physical and mental therapy) and made sure she did everything in her power to keep Emily safe and happy. She was finally finding her place as a mother.

After those seemingly long three weeks, T'Challa had given Riley and Steve the latest on Barnes. He was ready to wake up. His team believed they had done exactly what they intended to do, all that was left was to test it. They planned to do so that afternoon. Riley seemed less excited than Steve at the news but, she knew it was more nerves than anything. At least, she hoped it was.

* * *

Bucky felt like his brain was mush when he finally came to after being under. However, it was nothing compared to the times his brain had been wiped over the years. This was more of an exhausted mush. He could barely comprehend what the man in front of him had been saying, only making out a few words 'Test', 'Cured' and 'HYDRA'. Other than that, he still needed a minute to wake up.

After another hour or so of being awake, the scientist began again, explaining to Bucky that they believed the procedure a success. However, they needed to test it. He wasn't exactly a fan of that idea, fear taking over that if it didn't work he'd be an unstoppable force again. He was reassured that if that should happen, he couldn't break out of the test room. He asked for Steve anyway to be there. What was odd, at least to the scientist, Bucky did not ask for Riley or about Riley. Unbeknownst to the poor man in white, Bucky had convinced himself that Riley was already dead.

He was situated in the testing room, a few lab coats along with Steve were situated behind bullet proof glass outside of the room as the one scientist asked if Barnes was ready. With a curt nod, the man began reading the trigger words found in the tattered red notebook left behind at the Siberia base. Bucky gripped onto the chair he was sitting in tightly, waiting for the pressure in his head to start. He was sweating from nerves and slightly shaking. Once the last word for 'Freight Car' came out, Bucky realized he was no longer a machine. He had no urge to obey or comply with anyone's wishes. James Buchannan Barnes was finally rid of HYDRA. At least, to an extent. They still ruined his life in a major way.

Steve had been the first one to enter the testing room, Bucky stood from his seat as Steve hugged his best friend out of excitement. "How does it feel, man?" Steve asked, pulling away. "You're free."

Bucky let a small smile tug on his lips. "It's good to know I'm not a danger anymore." He rolled his shoulders back. "Although, I'm really stiff. I need to walk around." He admitted, Steve chuckling.

"Come on, let's go for a walk around the compound." Steve offered, the two super soldiers walking side by side as they headed out of the lab area. Steve had spoken with T'Challa earlier that Bucky should go under psych evaluation just to keep himself in check. While Steve agreed, he knew right now was not the time to speak up about it. His friend just woke up and needed to stretch his legs.

* * *

"Four months?" Bucky asked, feeling weight on his shoulders as he exhaled. "Emily is probably so big now. She's almost a year."

"They wanted to make sure they got everything." Steve admitted. "Wanda has been taking good care of Emily. They're pretty much inseparable right now."

Bucky nodded. "Why Wanda?"

"She feels like she owes that to you and Riley." He paused, realizing he had said the one name Bucky wasn't ready to hear as Bucky tensed up. "She just wants to help."

"I appreciate it." He mumbled, running his hand through his hair as they walked towards a windowed room. It had been turned into a play area for Emily, a few toys here and there along with books and stuffed animals. There wasn't too much but how much did an almost one year old really need? T'Challa wanted to make her feel as much at home as possible. It was also a good change of scenery for her and a place Wanda could take her to play.

The two walked over to the window, looking inside to see Emily and Wanda playing. Emily was sitting up and throwing the two soft balls she had found. Bucky felt his heart skip a beat as he watched his daughter smiling and laughing. She looked so much older even though it had only been four months. "Want to go in there?" Steve asked. Bucky just nodded as Steve walked over to the door and held it open. Hesitantly, Bucky walked into the room. Wanda had looked up and smiled, looking back down at Emily and saying something quick.

Emily looked up now, noticing the man with the metal arm in front of her. Her eyes lit up, that was her daddy standing there. Oh, how she missed him. She moved forward onto all fours and immediately began crawling over to him. Bucky, unable to not smile at the gesture, walked closer to her and picked up his daughter with ease. He held her close and kissed her cheek and she nuzzled into him. "Hey baby girl." He said softly. He couldn't believe his little girl was crawling now with such ease. He felt like he had missed so much in her life. However, he did this for her and for Riley. He knew it was important, he just wished he didn't miss so much.

"She's been trying to walk." Wanda mentioned in passing. Bucky looked at his daughter with a mix of awe and shock as Wanda continued. "If she can grab a ledge, she pulls herself up and tries walking."

"That's my girl." Bucky smiled as he rocked his daughter in his arms, noticing how vibrant her red hair was getting. ' _Just like your mothers'_ he thought to himself as he walked over to the small kids table in the middle of the room and sat down. He removed Emily from his arms and sat her down by it. "Show me." He said encouragingly. The three were distracted by the little girl as she grabbed onto the table and pulled herself up. Bucky wanted to cry at how big his daughter was getting.

The door to the room opened and before she even realized what was happening she was already complaining. "They're trying to kill me with this physical training cra—" Riley stopped as the other three adults turned their attention to the door. A dead and awkward silence filling the room as Riley scanned their horrified faces. Bucky in particular looking like he would vomit any second as he stared at her. "Crap…" She finished her sentence. "I'm going to just… give you all space." She offered, immediately turning and hobbling out of the room with her cane. Even though the pain in her leg was blatantly obvious to those around her, she had to get out of there, for his sake.

Wanda and Steve turned their attention back to Bucky, Steve offered the first words. "Buck, are you okay?"

Bucky blinked a few times, his jaw slack from the sudden intrusion. "She's—" He began, unable to say it at first. "Steve, she's—"

Steve nodded. "Yeah." He said cautiously. "She woke up a little over three weeks ago."

It was Wanda's turn to speak as she stood. "I'm going to let you two talk this out. I'll go see what she's doing." Without another word, Wanda left the overly tense situation and followed after Riley.

Bucky continued talking. "A cane?" He asked.

"She's learning to walk again." Steve said, immediately regretting his choice of words. "Her muscles weren't so strong after not being on them for so long. She's really stubborn, Buck." He said forcing a laugh. "She wouldn't use crutches and kept insisting she was okay."

He wasn't at all surprised. "That's the red head." He said automatically. There were somethings in this world Bucky was not prepared for. Emily almost walking was one of them, and then red head he was most certain he killed being alive was at the top of that list.

* * *

It didn't take much for Wanda to catch up to Riley. She had stopped somewhere near her room and was out of breath. She was leaning against the wall, her head facing up to the ceiling as she stared at the empty white tiles. "You're pretty fast for someone with a cane." Wanda tried to joke.

"Did you see the way he looked at me?" Riley asked, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "He looked visibly ill."

Wanda stood across from her now, placing her back against the opposite wall. "I don't think he knew you were awake."

"I don't think he knew I lived." Riley corrected Wanda. "Well, this was awkward."

Wanda watched Riley as she shifted awkwardly on her legs, mostly due to the cane and the pain she was feeling. "Are you going to try and talk to him?"

She shook her head. "Not until he's ready." Riley said. "I know him, he's holding onto guilt. Things are not going to be the same anymore for us."

"You don't know that." Wanda said. "Sure, give him time. I don't think that'll change your relationship. You'll find happiness with him again."

Riley felt defeat resonate through her entire being. She could hear it in the back of her mind, his voice telling her once again to ' _be brave'_. She knew she had to but, right now, she didn't think she had that in her. Not until Bucky was ready to talk. She remembered the last time she had felt this way, when Bucky had his memories wiped and didn't remember her at all. That same pain swallowing her whole as she tried to find any sort of comfort in this situation. However, she found none. At least, not yet.

* * *

 **Final Thoughts:** Thanks again for reading! Remember to review and have a great weekend!


	20. A Step in the Right Direction

**Author's Note:** So Fanfiction was having issues with people being able to login. And that stunk. Hopefully everyone can login now and get to their profiles. We are getting closer to ending this story, I usually like to end my stories around 30 chapters, not sure why, it's just a thing. So let's see if we can get it there. I also wonder if we can get to **100** reviews. Care to help? We only have 25 more to go. Leave a review and of course, I will happily respond to it! Even if it's a random thought or saying "hey", I love reading stuff from you guys!

Reviewers: 

ellidraco1014: We all want them to make up already! Riley and Bucky belong together and I hate writing them with such sadness! Hopefully Bucky won't be too opposed to the idea of fixing what he's done!

Slytherin Studios: Thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy this story!

You know the drill, guys!

 **Read, Review and above all… Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** I ate a bread sandwich today. If that's not proof that I'm broke and totally am not making off any money from this story then I honestly don't know what is!

* * *

"And how are we feeling today, Riley?" The older woman asked. Her face seemed to permanently be in a smile, at least, Riley thought so. Every time she looked at her, she had a warm smile plastered on her face. Her eyes showing wrinkles not from age but from her inability to not always be smiling. It bothered Riley on days like this, days where Riley was completely annoyed with everything around her. As she played with the seam on her shirt, she tried to focus on something, _anything_ but the smiling woman before her. The same woman she had been seeing since she woke up, asking the same damn questions about Riley's mental state. Somedays she could handle it, today was not one of those days. "Any new revelations?" She tried again. "You seem to be shutting me out today, Riley."

"Yeah, well—" Riley shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her leg aching from inactivity. "I didn't really want to be here today." She was honest.

Kana, her therapist, simpered. "I know, it's hard coming to a meeting and talking about your inner feelings. His Highness did suggest it for your own mental health. We just want to take care of you."

Riley shrugged. "I didn't mean _here_ as in this room."

Kana nodded. "You're talking about the afterlife again." She took a moment before continuing her thought. "You've told me before that it wasn't your time yet."

"Not my time but, I do miss the simplicity." Riley groaned. "Everything was so much easier."

"I take it you still have not confronted Sergeant Barnes yet."

Riley clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth, not answering was an obvious answer. A miserable answer for Riley. "It's been two weeks since he woke up and we've successfully avoided each other's existence since that accidental meeting."

"Any reason?" Kana asked. "I thought we discussed you'd try to see him."

"We did." Riley snapped, annoyance in her tone as she looked away. "He doesn't want to see me. He's making such an effort to avoid me at all cost." She sighed, her tone smoothing out now. It wasn't Kana's fault and she knew that. Everything was just frustrating. "At least when I was dead he was there. He always appeared when I needed him."

"But it wasn't him." Kana reminded her gently. "I'm sure once Sergeant Barnes is ready he will come to you."

"He won't have a choice, Emily's birthday is in three days." Riley felt a pit in her stomach begin to form. "Unless he won't make an appearance because I'm there."

"Do you really think he'd miss his daughter's first birthday?"

Riley tugged at the string on her shirt again. She would fidget whenever she felt nervous or unsure about something. "I honestly think he would." She said quietly.

Kana nodded. "Then maybe you should make an even bigger effort to see him." It wasn't a suggestion but more of a request now. "For Emily."

Riley was silent for a moment before finally looking at Kana, once again that soft smile on her face. Riley was sick of it today. Riley was sick of a lot of things today. "I think I'm done for today." She said quietly, grabbing her cane and forcing herself to stand. Without another word, Riley left her therapy appointment and wandered to anywhere but here.

* * *

Steve and Bucky had gone for their morning run, a ritual that was only missed twice since Bucky came out of the cryo-freeze. They would take their run out on the wooden paths above the jungle, not delving too deep into the jungle (something about wild animals that T'Challa had warned them about, Bucky honestly couldn't care less. He needed the distraction). It was the safest path they were allowed to take, and every morning they did just that. This particular morning the jungle was full of a cool fog, something neither of the super soldiers were used to. Normally, fog back home was sticky and humid, this was cool and barely damp. "I can't believe Emily is going to be a year old already." Steve said through short breaths as the two ran side by side. "It still feels like yesterday you called me to tell me Riley was pregnant." Bucky was silent as Steve watched him out of the corner of his eyes, waiting for any reaction. "What are we doing for Emily's birthday?"

Bucky sighed, he knew what Steve was doing, and the same thing his therapist was doing; trying to get Bucky to talk. "Not sure what we're allowed to do."

"T'Challa said we could have a cake if we wanted. A small little celebration." Bucky waited for the next follow-up question that always seemed to come after any long pause. "Have you talked to Riley about it?"

"No, I haven't." Bucky grumbled.

Steve stopped running, now pacing a short jog before coming to a complete stop all-together. Bucky, reluctantly stopping too, knew what was coming. "You can't avoid her forever." Steve said.

"I almost killed her." Bucky reminded him.

"And you have a daughter to take care of. A daughter who is turning one and both parents should be there. What do you plan on doing? Running out of their lives and never seeing them again?"

Bucky impatiently ran his hand through his hair. "If that's what it takes to keep them safe."

"Buck—" Steve said. "Come on. You can't live like this. She's the mother of your child."

"Then what would you have me do, Steve?" Bucky snapped. "Talk to her and tell her 'hey, I'm sorry I almost murdered you that one time. Hope we can still get married.'" Steve gave him a look before Bucky sighed, groaning slightly as he walked over to the wooden railing and leaning up against it. "She finally agreed to marry me on the jet going to get Emily."

Steve walked over to Bucky and stood next to him, copying his stance as he leaned against the wooden rail. "I still think you should talk to her."

"What would I even say?" Bucky asked, defeat slowly taking over.

"Well—" Steve began. "You can start by saying 'hi'." Bucky gave him a look. "Then maybe talk about what happened and start things over again."

Bucky folded his arms over his chest. "And if she doesn't want to?"

"Then you'll know." Steve said. "You can't just give up without even trying. She fought so hard for you when you first came to the Tower, you owe her the same courtesy."

Bucky smiled slightly. "I owe her a lot more than that."

"Let's go finish our run, then you can go clean up because you honestly stink—" Steve said jokingly, causing Bucky to smirk now as he hit Steve's arm. "I just have a good feeling, Buck."

"If this gets you off my back, fine." He said, remaining calm on the outside yet internally he was screaming. The two super soldiers continued their run in silence as Bucky mentally counted down the seconds until he took the plunge and confronted his red head.

* * *

It was Riley's first half of the day with Emily. A silent agreement between Bucky and Riley, they would never meet at the same time. Even if Riley went over on her playtime with Emily, Bucky always seemed to never cross paths with her. It infuriated her for many reasons. However, today she was simply numb to it as she watched Emily scoot around her little play table.

Luckily for Riley, she had Wanda sitting with her to help out with Emily. Riley still couldn't really chase after her daughter, or bend down too much for that matter. "I haven't seen your brother in a while." Riley mentioned in passing. "How is he?"

Wanda grinned. "He has found a new love interest, a girl in the lab who can't get enough of testing out his abilities. It's perfect for his ego and his need for attention."

Riley laughed. "Wow, he's found a new girl to annoy? I must say, I'm a little jealous."

"Oh don't worry, you're still his number one _Princess_." Wanda teased, causing Riley to roll her eyes.

"Well good for him." Riley said. "Hopefully she'll straighten him out."

Wanda gave her a look. "Doubtful." The two women laughed, something Wanda was grateful for. At least Riley was still existing. She knew in Riley's mind she was emotionally falling apart over Barnes. However, she still pushed forward to exist for Emily's sake. That was all Wanda could ask for. "Did you hear? Steve finally heard from Natasha."

"I didn't." Riley said, unsure how she was feeling over her missing assassin _friend_. "What did she say?"

"He didn't tell her too much." Wanda said, reassuring Riley. The two knowing that the situation was delicate and a little bit too much for a casual phone conversation. "However, she is on her way here. Not sure when she'll arrive but she's hoping to make Emily's birthday." Wanda looked at the baby as she kept circling the table at her own pace. "What are we doing for her birthday anyway?"

Riley shrugged. "Cake, I guess. T'Challa mentioned that he'd have one made for her. Other than that, it'll be a pretty small celebration."

"But her family is here, that's something to take into account."

Riley smiled slightly. "Yeah, you're all here for her and I'm so grateful for that." She lost her smile almost as immediately as it came. "I just hope Bucky doesn't miss it."

"She's his little girl. I doubt he would." Wanda tried to be diplomatic. "He's still avoiding you?"

"I've determined it's still a mutual avoiding. Neither one of us really know how to approach the subject so we'll just keep tiptoeing around each other."

Wanda nodded in understanding. "Maybe you two should put all that aside and start working towards civility. Especially for Emily."

"You're the second person today to use my child as leverage." Riley mumbled, the two women now paying too much attention to the baby as she giggled and babbled. The same word coming out of her mouth over and over again in excitement, 'Dada'. Riley forced a smile as she looked at Emily, about to say something until she saw Wanda's face change. The two of them staring behind Riley. Riley turned, the hair on the back of her neck standing upright as she saw him now in the room, standing by the door. "Shit, did I go over my time?" Riley asked in a panic, quickly standing and grabbing her cane. "I'm sorry, I'll get out of here."

He didn't move. "Can we talk?" He asked quietly, Riley was more than relieved for the support from her cane. She was most certain she would have fallen over.

Riley bit her lower lip, unsure how to answer as Wanda spoke up. She was already cradling Emily in her arms. "I've got Em, you two go ahead." She said.

Bucky shook his head. "You two can stay here." He said looking at Riley now with more conviction. "Walk with me?"

Every fiber of her being was shaking as fear took over. The uncertainty of whatever could happen next filling her with dread as she nodded in reply. Cautiously she walked over to Bucky, the two of them silently leaving the room and heading for the path Bucky jogged every morning. Neither one saying a thing until they had reached the outside. Wanda, on the other hand, still holding Emily while she left the play area and searched frantically for Steve. She wasn't sure where the panic was coming from, didn't she want this to happen? However, someone else had to know about the new development. It was a safety precaution. At least, in her mind.

* * *

Bucky intentionally walked slower for Riley. He knew she would force herself to walk up to a normal speed just to match his. He couldn't have that, he needed her to be somewhat comfortable. Internally, however praising the fact that she couldn't just run away out of fear of confrontation. Although he half expected it.

"I haven't been out here yet." Riley admitted quietly as she looked to her left, seeing jungle on the other side of the safety railing.

Bucky took a deep breath. "There's a much better view when it's not overcast with all this fog."

God, how she missed his voice. Her cheeks burning as he spoke, Riley now thankful for the coolness of the fog as they walked. "How are you?" He finally asked.

Riley smirked. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Make small talk with me like we're strangers." She said, looking at him now.

He sighed. "Then how would you rather we do this?"

With a shrug, Riley took her gaze off of him again. "Honestly? I don't know." At least they could agree on that. "You've been avoiding me."

"I wasn't ready."

"I know." She said. "I wasn't either but, pretending like you don't exist is hard when our daughter has your eyes."

"And your hair." He reminded her. "And stubbornness, and temper." Riley gave him a look as he looked down at his feet, smirking slightly.

"If we're going to talk about stubbornness, **Ghost**." Riley offered, saying his nickname with a little more force than he expected. "You'd win the gold medal there. At least I was okay with walking into you. You were set on avoiding me entirely."

Bucky pursed his lips, the conversation already growing slightly hostile. They were still angry with each other and it showed in their tone. "Well, I killed you so—"

There was silence before Riley found her sarcasm. "There's a promise well-kept then." The two stopped walking as Bucky turned and looked at her, a confused expression on his face yet deep down he already had an inkling as to what she meant. "You promised me you'd kill me someday, and you did. Glad we finally got that out of the way."

He let out an annoyed sighed. "How can you take this so lightly?"

"Because I want to move passed it, Buck." She said. "It's something I don't want us to hold onto when we have more important things now. We have Emily."

"It's not so easy to move passed this. What I did to you, even before Siberia."

"Which we said we'd talk about after we rescued Emily." Riley reminded him. He was growing more frustrated by the second with how aloof she was being, how everything had fallen apart. It was a lot to take in. "We were never good at the whole _talking things out_ , thing." She deflated slightly.

A small smirk formed on his face. "I usually enjoyed how our fights ended."

"At least your sex drive is intact." She replied sarcastically. "Unfortunately this is going to take a lot more than sparring and sex to fix." She admitted. "But I want to fix it."

"How?" He asked. "How can you still want to fix it after everything?"

"Because I love you, Ghost. That's what people do when they love each other. They figure it out." He couldn't hold back anymore and due to muscle memory and his need to touch her, he moved closer to Riley and gently wrapped his arms around her. Her head rested perfectly against his chest, like it always had so many times before. The smell of her, the feel of her, she was intoxicating to him. "I found my peace with the things I did. Can I find peace with you now?" She said into his chest.

He allowed himself to smile, knowing she couldn't see it as he put rested his chin on her head. "We'll take it slow. We won't avoid each other. We can take the time to see Emily together."

"It's her birthday this week." She said almost robotically. The same statement that had given both of them a twinge of guilt. A sentence that they didn't want to think about yet, and now talking about. "Our daughter is going to be a year. I feel so old."

"How do you think I feel?" He asked, still smiling as he held Riley in his arms.

"You must feel ancient." She joked, causing Bucky to let out an airy chuckle. She could get used to this, the feeling of being in his arms again. The way his chin rested on her head, the steady breaths he took. She missed it. She missed all of it. "I've almost lost you so many times in two years, Red." He said. "You were mine and I was careless about your safety. Then I almost lost you for good—" Bucky paused. "It's a lot to think about."

She squeezed just a little tighter around his midsection. "Obviously you're just really bad at losing me if I keep coming back."

He snorted. "Or you can't take the hint."

Riley feigned rejection. "Are you trying to get rid of me or something, Ghost?"

"Is it working?"

She took a momentary pause before replying. "Nah, still have this weird addiction to be near you at all times."

"I guess I need to try harder."

She smirked devilishly. "What could be harder than killing me?"

He rolled his eyes. He knew she was joking, that dark humor was Riley. He also knew she'd bring it up and use it in their little banter fights for the rest of their lives. For now, it stung. Later? He'd probably laugh just a little more at it. "We should head back in, I'm missing my time with Em."

Riley bit her lip as Bucky reluctantly pulled away. "Can I come too?"

He thought for a moment before offering a smile. "Yeah, Red. You can come too." Although the rest of their walk was in silence as they circled around the path and back to the compound, the two were so lost in each other's presence, they didn't even realize the four hidden Avengers keeping watch from a distance. They were ready to intervene if needed. Yet, right now, the group felt just a little more than hopeful for the sniper and assassin duo.

* * *

 **Final Thoughts:** I like happy chapters. I miss writing them. Let's just get more happy chapters, okay? Cool. Thanks for reading and remember to review!


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